For You Alone
by Judge1964
Summary: AU to Star Wars Rebels: A split-second decision during battle leaves Ezra with his family as Thrawn and the Imperials are captured by Purrgil. Ezra, opting to follow the others back to Yavin, begins to prepare to fight in the Galactic Civil War.
1. In My Heart

**I've been gone awhile, College does that to you. Unsure how long I'll be back, but I wanted to get this story started. It's been on my mind for a while.**

 **Basically, this is a reimagining of the Original Trilogy, one where Ezra and the Ghost Crew are around to fight. I am aware that this concept has been done numerous times, but to my knowledge, none have been started since the end of Rebels. Those final episodes changed everything. Kanan's gone, Sabine has feelings for Ezra, Hera's pregnant. I mean, how could I resist?**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Ezra Bridger stepped up to glare at the imposing Imperial Star Destroyer. "Chopper, put me through."

Chopper squawked an affirmative, and a hologram of Grand Admiral Thrawn appeared before the viewport. "Governor Pryce is our prisoner, and we have complete control of the Imperial Dome." Ezra smirked. "You failed, Thrawn. Leave Lothal and we _might_ let your troops out before we blow the Dome to pieces."

"Are you quite finished?" There was an unsettling look on Thrawn's face, and Ezra didn't enjoy looking at it. "If you truly wish to save Lothal, Commander Bridger, the only term I'll accept is your immediate and unconditional surrender."

Ezra frowned. He held all the cards. What did Thrawn have to threaten? "Why would I surrender when I hold your entire army prisoner?"

"No." Ezra's blood froze. "You've simply moved my assets to a safe position, so that I can bombard civilians of your home without incurring Imperial casualties."

"Rex!" Sabine beat Ezra to it. "Raise the planetary shield!"

The old Clone sounded panicked. "The generator just went offline!"

Now Thrawn smirked. "Your shield generator is under my control. Just so you understand that my intentions are genuine, I shall demonstrate my power." He half turned. "Open fire."

Ezra could only watch in horror as Chopper opened up a camera feed, and watched his city burn. It only took a few minutes before he could take it no longer. "Enough! I surrender!"

Thrawn's eyes widened slightly, and he nodded. The barrage ceased, and he stared at Ezra. "I await your arrival. And, make no mistake. Come alone. If you attempt any heroics, I shall resume the bombardment, and destroy your city. And then your friends."

As soon as the hologram dissipated, Ezra moved, handing his lightsaber to Chopper and beginning to make his way out of the control centre. Hera stopped him. "Ezra, I understand you think you need to do this, but-"

Ezra sighed. "This is what I'm meant to do."

"There's another way. There's _always_ another way." Hera laid her hands on his shoulders. "I won't let you go."

Ezra reached out with the Force, and nearly recoiled. Hera was _terrified_ of losing him like she had lost Kanan. She had yet to grieve for the fallen Jedi, and Ezra wasn't sure what would happen if he followed through with his plan. "Alright. If this isn't the way, than what is?"

Hera smiled as she removed her hands. "Let's see what we have to work with."

The others gathered around a holoprojection of the station. "Charge up the Dome's cannon." Zeb growled. "Blow them out of the sky!"

"Even if we do, 'blow them out of the sky'." Kallus was at least thinking. "The wreckage will come crashing down on the city!"

But Ezra's focus was on Chopper, who had just nodded almost imperceptibly. Then he looked up and a small vent panel had opened. "One last time."

The Force _pinged_ , and Ezra turned to see Sabine staring at him, softly shaking her head, tears welling up in her eyes. Ezra mentally groaned and stepped away from the vent, nodding once at her.

"Hera." Relieved, Sabine made her way over to the big screen. "We should use the primary schematic if we're going to find a way to raise the shield. We need to find a way to get down here."

Zeb scowled. "And find a way to get past all the Imperials we've locked in here with us!"

Kallus pointed. "We can bypass them using an executive order to order them back to the barracks."

Sabine's eyes were on Ezra, ensuring that the Jedi was still there. "Hera?"

The Twi'lek nodded. "So we have a plan to take back the generator, but we still have to deal with Thrawn." She thought for a moment. "We have to stall him somehow." She looked around. "Ezra?"

Ezra stepped forward. "Chopper."

While Chopper wheeled up to the console. Ezra glanced at the others. "Split up into two teams. Zeb, Kallus, Rex and Hondo. And Ketsu, Gregor, and Hera. Sabine and I will stay here to direct you and keep Thrawn busy."

As the others left, Sabine started quietly handing out directions and Ezra stared at the image in front of him. "We need to talk."

Thrawn stared impassively at him. "The time for talking has passed. Your choice is simple, Commander. Surrender, or your people will die."

Ezra scowled. "Think about what you're doing! What you plan to do! If you do this, everyone dies. Our soldiers, and yours!"

Thrawn nodded. "That's war, Commander. Not everyone makes it back."

Ezra shook his head. "Than can if you don't do this! You can choose to end this now!"

Thrawn narrowed his eyes. "Are you coming or not?"

Ezra sighed. "I'm on my way." He looked at Sabine. "Ditching my people is harder than anticipated."

Thrawn smiled. "I'm confident you shall find a way. You have ten minutes."

The hologram dissipated once again, and Ezra stared at Sabine. "Is that enough time?"

Sabine nodded. "Yes." She grinned. "We can do this!"

Ezra began to pace. "There's still the problem of Thrawn to deal with. Since Thrawn's little monster managed to escape from the others, we stand a chance."

Sabine frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Ezra smiled. "I had a feeling this might happen. So, I gave the other team a special mission. To fly into space and broadcast on Frequency Zero."

Sabine's frown deepened. "Frequency Zero? No one uses that anymore. What are you up to?"

Ezra stopped pacing and looked at her. "The endgame."

Before Sabine could ask what _that_ cryptic message meant, the comm rang out. "Generator is online!"

Ezra took a step forward. "And the creature?"

"Dead." There was a long pause. "Gregor's gone too."

Ezra turned his gaze back to the viewport, watching as Thrawn fired a futile turbo laser barrage on the now shielded Capital City. "His sacrifice isn't in vain then."

 _"_ _Ezra."_ It was the other team in the _Ghost_. " _We're en route."_

Ezra nodded. "Did my friends come?"

 _"_ _Yep."_

Ezra looked to Sabine and grinned as Purrgil appeared out of hyperspace, capturing Imperial Star Destroyers, and jumping away. "This is our chance."

"A Purrgil has attached to the Chimeara!" Rex was watching through a pair of macro-binoculars. "They're jumping!"

Ezra grinned. "Let's go."

Sabine nodded and looked at the gathered Rebels in the control room. "You heard Ezra, let's finish this!" She grabbed one of her blasters. "Chopper, prime the thrusters for launch! We're going to blow this place."

At that moment, the blast doors were blown by Imperial Stormtroopers, and the control room became a war zone, with all the Rebels except Ezra on the terrance overlooking the control platform.

"Sabine!" Ezra threw her his lightsaber as he called a Death Trooper's blaster into his hand. "Catch!"

Sabine looked at the hilt for a second. "Thanks." She slashed the window open and started to climb to the top of the Dome, the rest of the Rebels behind her.

Ezra was the last to leave the Dome, waiting for his fellow Rebels to enter the _Ghost_ before leaping aboard. Then they all entered the cockpit.

"It's gaining altitude over the sea"

Hera looked at the Mandalorian, who was sitting beside Ezra, a relieved look on her face. "It's all you, Sabine."

Sabine sighed and looked at Ezra. "For Kanan."

The explosives on the Dome detonated, exploding the entire structure and removing the entire Imperial Presence from Lothal.

Chopper snickered as he entered the cockpit, and an holo-projection of Ezra appeared, only to dissipate a moment later by Ezra. "Uh, ignore that."

Sabine raised an eyebrow. "What was that?"

Ezra was silent for a moment. "I was prepared to go to Thrawn. In order to save Lothal, I would have to sacrifice myself. Like Kanan. That recording was in the case that happened."

Rex sighed as he watched the crew of the Ghost sit in silence, no doubt thinking of what might have been. "Not to kill the moment, but the Empire won't just let us keep this planet. We need to prepare for how we're going to fight back."

Kallus shrugged. "Perhaps the Rebel Alliance will see our victory here and finally send support."

Zeb scowled. "We took Lothal without them. We can keep it without them."

Hera nodded, listening to the crowds cheering below them. "You may be right." She glanced at Ezra. "What changed your mind back at the Dome?"

Ezra glanced at Sabine. "Nothing." He sighed. "What's our next move, Hera?"

The Captain was silent for a moment. "I don't know. But Chopper and I can't stay here. The Rebellion needs us." She looked at her crew. "You all are welcome to come along."

Ezra nodded. "Lothal is free. The Empire killed Kanan, and I won't stop until they are all overthrown."

"Ezra." Rex laid a hand on his shoulder. "Don't let this war become personal. If you act out of emotion, you'll be putting everyone at risk."

Ezra nodded, took a deep breath, and looked at Hera. "I'm in. And not just for Kanan. We set out to destroy the Empire. We can't stop now."

Sabine nodded. "I'm with you."

Zeb hefted his bo-rifle into his hands. "I'll always fight. For Lasan."

Hera smiled. "Okay." She looked at Chopper. "Set course for Yavin Four!"

* * *

 **So, that covers the last episode of Rebels, which means everything else is uncharted territory. I'm excited.**

 **I only have up to chapter four written. Writing a Jedi in A New Hope is actually quite difficult.**

 **Let me know if this is something you guys want more of!**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	2. Shadow of a Spectre

**Thanks to Kar'tayl-Cuyir-Dral, sabinewren20.22, Capty Fanfic and andrewjameswilliams.**

 **This chapter really set the pace for the whole story. Originally, I was going to have the Spectres sit passivly by during the War, and not have anything changed. But, where's the fun in that?**

 **On the romance side of things (it is _me_ , guys), something Hera said after Kanan died. She always thought there'd be more time. I think Sabine's in that boat in canon, but since Ezra's still here in this story, I think they're still under the impression of there'll be more time. **

**Try to read into my writing. I'm not going to spell everything out, and there's some important implications hidden between the lines.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Agent Alexandr Kallus smiled sadly as the _Ghost_ landed. Nearly a month had passed since they had returned from Lothal, and the crew had taken on every mission they could. The second they returned to Yavin, Hera was off asking Command for their next mission.

And Kallus knew why. The death of Kanan Jarrus had hurt every one of them, but while on Lothal, there wasn't much time to grieve. And Hera seemed to be making sure that they stayed too busy to grieve.

But Kallus knew that they needed the time. Which was why he had gone to Command and requested that the _Ghost_ be banned from active missions on account of Hera being pregnant. Which they had agreed to.

Kallus scowled as Ezra Bridger left the _Ghost_ , hopped on a speeder bike, and took off, headed into the jungle. What was that about?

* * *

Sabine narrowed her eyes as she stepped out of the _Ghost_. "Hera? Have you seen Ezra?"

The General shook her head sadly. "He took off a little bit after we landed."

Sabine frowned. "That was six hours ago!" She grabbed a speeder and took off into the forests around the Rebel Base.

Hera leaned against the side of the _Ghost_ as Zeb came and joined her. "Where's she off to?"

The Twi'lek sighed. "She's going after Ezra."

Zeb nodded as he sat beside her. "The kits are going to need one another. I don't think Ezra's allowed himself to grieve yet."

Hera looked away. "In some ways, Ezra was closer to Kanan than anyone. Kanan had told me how much having the bond he shared with his Master severed after the war. That, even a decade later, it still was painful enough to cause him nightmares." Hera was aware of how acute the pain Kanan felt over his dead Master was, even when he died.

Even with the lonely, heartsick years ahead of her, Hera would never comprehend his agony.

* * *

Sabine's eyes widened as she took in the sight before her. Rocks and other objects were lazily floating in the air. In the middle, Ezra was on his knees meditating. Then, his eyes opened. "Sabine."

She carefully made her way forward, staring at the rocks beside her, some floating even above her. "What is this?"

Ezra gave a small smile. "Meditating. I'm trying to determine what my path is now."

Sabine sat beside him. "What do you mean?"

Ezra sighed, and slowly the rocks descended. "I always thought Kanan and I were supposed to save Lothal. And then move on to help others. But he's gone. And I-" He lowered his head. "I don't know."

Sabine gently put her hand on his shoulder. "Whatever your path is now, we're beside you. And Hera said she could feel Kanan."

Ezra slowly nodded. "I can feel him, but it's not the same. It's not like before." He stood. "I guess I'll figure it out at some point."

Sabine stood as well. "Well, while we're here, why don't we spar?"

Ezra smirked. "With what?"

Sabine grabbed two sticks from her speeder and threw one at Ezra. "Training Saber." She pretended not to see the flash of pain in his eyes as he caught the stick Kanan had made all those months ago. "Since I no longer have a lightsaber of my own."

Ezra nodded and slid into ready position. "You ready?"

Sabine nodded, knowing how this would go. Ezra needed an outlet for everything he was bottling in, and Sabine had found that her fight with Kanan was really the only way they were going to find out about her family history. Maybe Ezra was the same.

The Mandalorian in Sabine also knew that she needed the practice. It was entirely possible that there were other Inquisitors out there, and the Spectres had already lost Kanan. She was Ezra's partner in battle, she should be able to at least hold her own in a lightsaber fight.

And then Ezra had attacked.

Sabine had always know that, on some level, Kanan had been barely trying during their duel. That and her anger at Kanan calling her a deserter from her Clan had made her fight with no remorse.

She forgot two things in challenging Ezra to a lightsaber spar. One, he was a _Jedi_ , and had crossed blades with some of the fiercest duellists in the Galaxy.

Two, he was ticked.

Ezra leapt at her, all pretence of a friendly spar gone as he rapidly attacked her defences, instantly forcing Sabine to remain on the defensive. She did her best, but the battle was over in seconds as Ezra tripped her feet and pointed his stick at her throat. "Dead." He extended a hand to her. "Uhm, sorry." He scratched the back of his head. "I shouldn't have done that."

Sabine grabbed the hand and stood. "You'll have to teach me that one, I think." She mentally sighed, aware that the duel hadn't quite gone as she had planned. Time for plan B. "You were kinda intense. Everything okay?"

Ezra walked a few paces to the edge of a cliff and sat down, feet swinging gently. After a few moments debate, Sabine joined him, but kept the leg-swinging to a minimum. Someone had to be mature.

Ezra sighed. "No. I just…" He looked away. "Kanan's gone. I don't have his voice in my head to help me. The bond's gone! And I-" He choked back a sob. "I don't know what to do. He wasn't just my Master."

Sabine nodded. "I know. But he wouldn't want to see you like this." Vaguely, she was aware she hadn't taken time to grieve either. "It's hard, but we will work through this."

Ezra let out a quiet sob. "I miss him."

"I know." Sabine laid a hand gently on his back. "We all do. You aren't alone anymore, Ezra." The silent invitation was there. _Cry if you need to._

Ezra had never felt so ready to indulge in that offer.

* * *

"Karabast!" Zeb was scanning the horizon through a pair of macro-binoculars on top of the _Ghost_. "The kits should have been back by now."

Hera nodded. "Maybe. They'll be fine. Ezra and Sabine have each other."

"I know, but-" Zeb looked at her. "We already lost one Spectre."

Hera was silent for a moment. "Kanan wouldn't want us to be crippled by his passing." Inwardly, she was aware of the fact that she couldn't say death. "Something he said to Ezra crossed my mind. 'There is no death, there is only the Force'."

Zeb shook his head as he climbed down. "Maybe, but I wish we could see him."

Hera opened her mouth to reply, but the sound of a speeder beat her to it. "I think the kids are back."

Sure enough, minutes later, Ezra and Sabine dismounted their speeder bike, and Ezra faced Hera. "I'm sorry for running off like that. It won't happen again, I promise."

Hera smirked. "It better not, or I'll send Sabine after you."

 _General Syndulla to the Command Centre now!_

Hera half-turned and looked at her crew. "This shouldn't take long."

* * *

It _did_ in fact take long, and Hera had commed the crew, instructing them not to wait up for her. So, they had gone to bed. A long briefing or whatever she was doing meant that they would most likely be going on a mission in the near future.

For the first time in who knows how long, Ezra was the first one out. Barely had enough energy to make it to his room. Zeb had to place him on his bed, he was out that fast. Sabine smiled fondly as she entered her own room. A few months ago, even, Zeb would have been complaining at having to touch the Kid. Now he did it without thinking.

The smile faded as she realised that it was connected to Kanan's death. The Lasat was afraid of losing anyone else. They all were these days.

* * *

 _When they glow like that..._

 _They're about to jump into hyperspace!_

 _Ezra? Ezra, get out of there right now! That's an order._

 _Hera, I have to see this through to the end._

 _Ezra, please! Get out of there!_

 _I can't do that. It's up to all of you now. And remember, the Force will be with you. Always._

Sabine burst from her bed, gasping. It had been almost years since she had a nightmare that terrifying. The last time she could remember was just days after Kanan had decided to train Ezra. Days after their first encounter with the Grand Inquisitor.

Sabine slipped out of her room, sneaking down to the commons to find Hera sitting at the table, nursing a drink. "Want some company?"

Hera smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Sure."

Sabine sat down and looked at the captain. "What's going on? What was that briefing about?"

Hera was silent, staring at her drink. "Saw's dead. Jedha's gone."

Sabine frowned. "What? But...how?"

Hera sighed. "Apparently the Empire has a new weapon. A planet killer. A girl came here to ask us to fight. That was what the meeting was about. In the end, the Alliance said no. But a small team of Rebels left anyway, headed for Scarif."

Sabine scowled. "So, when do we leave?"

Hera looked up finally. "What are you talking about?"

Sabine looked at her. "It's obvious. You want to go to fight. And we're behind you. When do we leave?"

Hera stared. "I can't ask you guys to go. Scarif...it's a suicide mission."

"And when has that ever stopped us before." Both women looked up to see Ezra leaning against a wall. "We're supposed to go to Scarif."

Hera's brow furrowed. "Why? What is the Force telling you?"

Ezra shrugged as he sat down next to Sabine. "The Force isn't saying much. But this team is going to need backup. Who better to supply it?"

Hera looked relieved as she stood. "Setting course for Scarif."

When the captain was gone, Sabine turned to Ezra. "What do you sense?"

Ezra didn't have to ask what. "She's grieving in her own way. We all are. Hera has to keep busy, or else she might go mad. But, something's different."

"Different how?"

Ezra closed his eyes in concentration. "Her Force-Signature, it's changed. Been changing for a while now."

Sabine stared at him. "Since before Kanan died?"

Ezra opened his eyes and nodded. "A couple of months before. Kanan sensed it first, but didn't tell me anything. Didn't show a sign. I only found out after he passed."

"What do you think it is?"

Ezra shrugged. "I don't know. We'll find out soon enough, though." The ship lurched through hyper-space, and he stood and extended a hand. "Come on. It's 0300 hours. We should get back to bed."

* * *

 **Chapter Notes!**

 **1). I have this mental backstory for Kallus in my head, which may or may not have been used to influence him pulling Hera from active duty because of her pregnancy.**

 **2). Personally, I think Ezra would have reverted to mourning his Master the moment Lothal was free. The back half of Rebels was full of non-stop action, from Kanan's death to the Temple to the Liberation. So, quite alot of time is going to be spent here exploring how adrift Ezra will be.**

 **3). The romance aspect of Ezra and Sabine is going to be a slow burn. Like all my other stories, it seems...**

 **I've done my best to keep to the canon timeline for the Galactic Civil War, but I'm a bit iffy on how soon after Rebels Rogue One is. It's likely more than a month, but I like the idea of Ezra and Sabine trying to figure out what changed in Hera too much to change it.**

 **On the note of keeping with the timeline, that means there's three years in-between Hope and Empire. If you guys have any requests for that time period, I'd love to give it a shot.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	3. Always in Motion

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed on the last chapter!**

 **Shorter Chapter, but the events at Scarif are what set the entire Original Trilogy in motion. Not too much I could change there.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Arrival at Scarif was uneventful, as Hera used the _Ghost's_ signal scrambler to slip in the planetary shield undetected. "What now?"

Ezra reached out with the Force. "The team's already in the Tower." He frowned. "But something's happening in space."

Hera nodded, peering at her scopes. "The Blockade has engaged the fleet. The shield has been closed."

Sabine looked at Ezra. "What do we do?"

Ezra was silent for a moment. "We wait." He opened his eyes and glanced out the viewport. "There's nothing we can do to help Rogue One. They're too deep inside the Tower. The firefight outside will only intensify if we join."

Hera scowled. "So we came all this way for nothing?"

Ezra shook his head. "No. Something feels off. Like it's a trap." He reached out further. "The officers aren't surprised at this attack at all. And they've called for reinforcements."

"Ezra." Hera had that determined look in her eye. "What can we do to assist?"

Ezra thought for a quick second. "Sabine, Zeb; I need you to come with me. Hera, Chopper; guard the _Ghost_. If I'm reading things right, we're going to need a fast exit."

As soon as they were on the ground, Zeb looked to Ezra. "You feel it too."

Ezra nodded. "Yeah. It's not depression, _I'd_ know what that feels like. This is something else. She's grieving for Kanan, but her Signature is also filled with happiness."

Sabine frowned. Part of her wanted to know what Ezra meant with his first sentence. But her focus had to be on Hera. "What do you think it is?"

Ezra shook his head. "I don't know. She's not sharing, but she feels lighter than she has since Kanan."

Sabine opened her mouth, but the battle before them drew attention away. "Wow..."

Death Troopers, the terrifying stormtroopers that had been appearing more and more in those final months of the Occupation, had established a perimeter around the tower, and the Rebels were dug in trenches surrounding. It was a stalemate.

Ezra ignited his lightsaber. "C'mon. We can change this battle." He ran forward, deflecting the blaster bolts that were fired at him, Sabine and Zeb following. The Rebels in the trench, upon seeing the Jedi, leapt forward, following Ezra towards the tower.

* * *

Hera was monitoring the comms, eyes narrowing at what she heard. "Ghost to Admiral Raddus, what is going on?'

" _It's a trap!"_

Hera scowled. "What do you mean?"

 _"_ _The Planet-Killer has emerged from hyperspace!"_

Hera gasped. "No..." She switched comm channels. "Kids, get out of there now!"

" _We've almost taken the tower..."_

"No time." Hera was staring into the horizon. "There won't be a tower in a minute. Just trust me, get back now!"

* * *

Ezra glanced at Sabine and Zeb. "I haven't heard Hera like that since..." Kanan. "Let's go."

Zeb fired one last shot, hitting one of the Death Troopers. "We sure this isn't her distress?"

Sabine pursed her lips. "Doesn't matter. Hera's in charge. And if what she says is true, we can't afford to stay." She tossed a thermal detonator towards the tower door, succeeding in opening it. "Come on, we have to get back."

* * *

As soon as they were on board, Hera raised the ramp, taking off a moment later. Raddus's news had shaken her. She couldn't lose any more family.

Ezra sat down in the co-pilot's chair. "What's going on?"

Hera sighed. "The planet-killer is directly overhead. We think it's going to destroy the tower to prevent the plans from getting away."

Ezra nodded, mind going back to Pryce destroying the entire fuel depot to destroy a small band of Rebels. "What do you need us to do?"

Hera turned on the ship comm. "Sabine, Zeb; get on the turrets. As soon as we exit the shield, we're going to have TIE's on us." She turned to Ezra. "I'm going to need you in the nose turret."

Ezra nodded, strapping himself in. "Where are we going?"

Hera didn't glance down. "We're staying as long as we can, then we're jumping."

A few minutes later, Ezra felt something. "Hera, bank left hard."

Hera didn't question it, just obeyed. "What's going on?"

Ezra got out of the nose cannon, pointing out the viewport. "Keep to the left side of the station. No matter what."

 _"_ _Hera."_ It was Sabine, and she sounded rattled. " _We have a-"_

The planet-killer fired, laser headed to Scarif, passing through the section the _Ghost_ had just occupied. The closeness of the near-miss rattled the ship, sending Ezra, who had gone to find out what Sabine was talking about, into the ceiling above him, knocking him out.

* * *

Sabine closed the door to the boy's room. "He's unconscious. Hit his head harder than we thought, I guess."

Hera was still staring at the remnants of the laser. "What could have done such devastation?"

Sabine sat down next to Zeb. "The kyber crystals."

Hera looked away from the viewport at her. "What?"

Sabine brandished Kanan's lightsaber, casting a blue glow about the commons. "Energy constantly flows through the crystal." Repeating the words Kanan had told her brought that whole night back, and she smiled. "You're not fighting with a simple blade so much as you are directing a current of power." She extinguished the blade and set the lightsaber on the table. "Those kyber crystals we destroyed were massive. Too big for any lightsaber. But big enough for that." She pointed at the space station. "If the Empire has that kind of power…"

Hera shuddered. "Then none of us stand a chance. We just have to pray they don't find Yavin."

* * *

Sabine was sitting next to Ezra's bed, formerly Zeb's bed, when the Lasat popped his head in. "The plans for the planet-killer were delivered to Leia. We're jumping."

Sabine nodded, feeling the familiar pulse of hyper-space rock the ship. "Back to Yavin?"

Zeb nodded. "Yeah."

As he left, Sabine adjusted her chair, staring at the unconsious Ezra. "Wake soon." She implored softly. "I can't help you like this."

* * *

 **Chapter Notes!**

 **I). As aformentioned, the battle is too pivitol to change. At best, the Spectres could have saved most of Rogue One. But, if word got back to Tarkin a Jedi was on Scarif, the entire planet might have gone the way of Alderaan. Speaking of, I'm excited for the next chapter!**

 **2). I figure Ackbar has to get his most famous line from somewhere. We know that Raddus was impactful in some way to him, as his ship is named the Raddus in The Last Jedi. So, Raddus informs Hera about the Death Star.**

 **3). I'm _far_ too attached to Kanan (and not completely over his death) not to have his lightsaber survive the Dome. I know we don't _see_ the Spectres recovering his lightsaber, but do you really think Ezra or Hera would have left it to blow up? **

**4). Sabine's line of 'wake soon, I can't help you like this', is a small referance to the story that got me into fanfiction all those years ago, Never Alone by Neocolai. One of the best non-romance Rebels fanfictions I think I've read. I highly recommend it!**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	4. Where Joy and Sorrow Meet

**Thanks to...huh, no-one. Odd. I-I guess I'll just move on then. Awkward.**

 **I'm honestly really excited for this chapter. It's one of my favourites. This and a later chapter have the two favoured spots in my heart.**

 **If you're confused as to what happens in this chapter, see the notes below.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

The news that Darth Vader had captured Princess Leia came days later, and it sent the entirety of Rebel Command panicking. But it was just one of several issues for Sabine.

Ezra still hadn't woken up, leading the Mandalorian to decide that the Force was at work here. Something was about to happen, something big.

Secondly, Hera was pregnant. With Kanan's child. _That_ would lead to some serious teasing when Ezra awoke. And when the pain of losing Kanan died down enough for teasing.

Hera being pregnant changed things. For one, she was being forced off the active roster. Mon Mothma had wanted to ban her from all Rebel activities, but Sabine intervened. Sitting around doing nothing would cause nothing but stress for Hera, and that wouldn't be healthy for the child.

Bail Organa agreed, citing that Hera would oversee fighter ops. A safe, ground base activity that she would be a tremendous help with.

The news that Leia had been captured, however, weighed more in the minds of Sabine's Rebel comrades, as they started to scuttle the base. Even if Leia could resist torture, the Sith could take information from minds. Maul had done so to Hera, so it stood to reason that Vader could do it to Leia.

Now here they were, two days into the evacuation, and Sabine still sat in the _Ghost_ , painting. Or at least, trying to. She was far too focused on any sounds coming from Ezra's room to paint.

A scream was heard, and Sabine ran, paint forgotten. She ran into Ezra's room, contacting Hera on her comm. " _Ghost_ , now!"

" _Sabine? What-"_

"No time. Go!" Sabine knelt beside the floor, where Ezra had fallen whilst flailing about. That was new. Ezra had never, in all his time on the _Ghost_ , fallen out of his bed. Nor did he scream in his sleep. Something was happening.

Another scream sounded, and Sabine sat beside him, moving Ezra's head into her lap. "Ezra, what is it?"

Pain was etched into his features, every breath a scream. Briefly checking him over for injuries, Sabine closed her eyes. Whatever was happening, it was due to the Force. Which meant there was nothing she could do to help her friend.

Hera and Zeb nearly ran in. "What's happening?"

Sabine shrugged as carefully as she could, wincing as Ezra made a pained noise. He was quieting, which was good. "I don't know."

That was the honest truth; the worst part about all this. She had no idea what was happening to Ezra. None. What was worse, she had no idea what this would do to him. Hera had told her that Kanan still had nightmares about the end of the Clone War. Would Ezra be the same way?

She looked at him, surprised to see him in a sleep-like state. Was that good or bad?

Sabine sighed. "I'll comm you if anything changes."

Once they were gone, Sabine gently adjusted Ezra, shifting him closer to her. "It's okay, Ezra. I'm here." She closed her eyes. "I'm here."

* * *

Slowly, Ezra opened his eyes. "S'bine?"

Sabine sighed in relief. "Ezra!" Gently, she hugged him. "You're okay!"

Ezra groaned. "What…happened?"

Sabine looked at him. "You don't know?"

Ezra shook his head almost imperceptibly. "No. Just pain. Then it felt like…" he thought for a minute. "Like when I was a kid and my parents would put me to bed. Surrounded in warmth and security."

Sabine connected the dots quickly. "You think it was Kanan?"

Ezra nodded. "Yeah." He winced in pain as he lifted his head. "Why am I on the floor?"

Sabine nearly laughed in relief. "You fell off the bed."

Ezra looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "Fell off the bed and ended up in your lap?"

Sabine felt her cheeks heating. "Yeah."

Ezra smirked and leaned against the wall, next to her. "Thank you, Sabine."

Sabine looked at him. "What do you think that was?"

Ezra was silent for a moment. "I don't know. It felt…horrible. I could hear screams of terror and horror. So much pain…"

Hera gently knocked on the door. "We just got word. Alderaan was just destroyed."

Sabine gasped. "The whole planet?"

"Yes." Ezra, with Sabine's help, wearily stood. "The entire population was wiped out. In one moment."

Sabine looked at Hera. "The planet-killer."

The Twi'lek nodded. "Rebel Command is calling it the Death Star. Seems fitting."

Ezra sat on his bed, head in his hands. "Is this the price of the Rebellion? What we've done, this is what it amounts to?"

Sabine sat beside him, hand on his shoulder. "If we didn't get involved, Lothal would never have been free."

Ezra sighed. "And Kanan would still be here." He groaned. "Why fight, if all it's going to incite is entire worlds being destroyed?"

Sabine leaned into Ezra. "We fight because no one else will. You know that. And I know you, Ezra. You want to get rid of the Empire as much as anybody."

Ezra looked up, entire face weary. "What's our next move?"

Hera sighed. "If the Empire was able to destroy Alderaan, it may come for Yavin next. We're in the process of scuttling the base here."

Ezra looked away. "It's Atollon all over again." He stood, swaying slightly. "What…what can I do to help?"

Hera smiled and gently pushed him back onto the bed. "Rest. You're in no condition to help with evac."

Ezra nodded reluctantly. "Okay."

Sabine looked to Hera. "What do you need me to do?"

Hera looked pointedly at Ezra. "Make sure he doesn't do something stupid."

Ezra threw up his hands in mock defat. "Fine, I'll stay in the room. Happy?"

Hera gave a small smile as she left the room. "Don't mind-trick her."

Once she was gone, Ezra let his facade drop, resting the back of his head on wall. Sabine glanced worriedly at him. "Ez?"

Ezra's face didn't change. "Alderaan was what I felt. I knew Force Users could sense loss of life, but I didn't think it would be that _horrible_. Kanan never prepared me for that."

Sabine smiled gently as she joined him on the bed. "But you made it through. And, from what you said, it sounds like Kanan saved you from the worst of it."

Ezra nodded. "Yeah." He glanced at Sabine. "We can't let what happened to Alderaan happen to any other world."

Sabine grinned. "There's my Ezra."

Ezra was too busy thinking to catch what she said. "This is why the Empire never came back to Lothal. Ryder has been updating me on their progress. No Imperial ships over Lothal space. We thought it was strange. This is why." He sighed. "The Empire may well be planning to destroy my world."

"They won't." Even Sabine was surprised by how firm that sounded. "I have faith we will win. None of us saw that complete victory that you pulled that day."

Ezra gave a weak chuckle. "I wanted it to be a surprise."

Sabine nodded. "It definitely was." She watched Ezra's eyes droop and stood. "I'll let you sleep."

"No!" Sabine frowned inwardly. Ezra sounded panicked. That level of desperation hadn't been seen since Malachor. "Stay. Please. I can't…I can't be alone. Not after Alderaan."

The pieces fell together quickly. Ezra feeling such a loss of life would hurt, apparently to the extent of not wanting to be alone. "Sure." She sat in the chair near the bed. "I'll stay."

Ezra closed his eyes in relief. "Thank you, Sabine."

She leaned forward. There was more that he wasn't telling her. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Ezra was silent for a long moment. "After Malachor, the Sith Holocron told me that I had to cut the people I loved out of my life, to protect them."

Sabine thought back to that time. "Seems like you listened."

Ezra scoffed. "I thought I didn't." He sat up. "But the holocron, it has a way of sticking with you. Twisting your thoughts. But I can't do this alone anymore. I can't-" his breath hitched. "I can't take another step."

Sabine couldn't help it, she wrapped her arms around his near shaking form. "You're not alone, Ezra. You never were."

Ezra rested his head on her shoulder, mind going back to that dark period that he actively used the Dark Side. Of how Kanan was so disappointed with him, but never angry. Of how he removed everyone out of his life in an effort to protect them.

Of how he left the Dark Side, but it hadn't left him. Not fully.

Ezra kept his eyes on the wall. "Kanan told me something once. Once you fall to the Dark Side, it consumes you forever."

Sabine gave a small scoff. "Was that a Jedi teaching?"

Ezra nodded, wary of the scoff. "Yeah."

Sabine leaned out of the hug, staring into his eyes. "The Dark Side hasn't consumed you. You would have sacrificed yourself to save all of Lothal if I hadn't had stopped you. From what I know, the Dark Side is all about self-gratification."

Ezra nodded. "It is."

"How is being willing to sacrifice your life for your people of the Dark Side?"

Ezra looked at her. "It's the _Jedi_."

"So?" Sabine shrugged. "We already know the Jedi were wrong. They said attachment led to the dark side. Even though love is attachment, and there is nothing more against self-gratification than love."

Ezra saw where she was going. "Kanan and Hera."

Sabine nodded. "Yes. The point is, if the Jedi were wrong on that issue, they could be wrong on this one. I see before me someone firmly planted in the Light. An apprentice worthy of Kanan Jarrus."

Ezra nodded, not trusting his mouth to speak words. He had yet to grieve for Kanan. He suspected that all of the Spectres had yet to grieve for Kanan. The thought that Ezra was his legacy was both humbling and terrifying.

He was as much Kanan's son as the child Hera carried.

Eventually, Ezra's fatigue caught up with him and he all but slumped against his bed. "Thank you, Sabine."

Sabine nodded in satisfaction and sat back down in her chair. "You're never alone, Ezra. No matter what, I am here. Even if everyone turns away, I won't."

Ezra gave a small smile. "So am I. Whatever that means, whatever you want that to mean, I am with you."

Sabine smirked. "I'll hold you to that."

* * *

 **Chapter Notes!**

 **I). In ANH, Obi-Wan becomes faint from the loss of life on Alderaan. I figure that, if a Jedi Master that had to deal with the death of, what is basically his family, _and_ deal with fighting and, so he thinks, killing his brother, if he was faint, then Ezra Bridger might very well have died from shock. Which is where Kanan comes in. I figure the Jedi surrounds his Padawan in the Force to protect him. **

**2). I always wished the show dealt with Dark Side Ezra a little more. So that's where Ezra's confession comes in. I kinda see Ezra struggling with finding his balance now that Kanan's gone. Like his Master's presence was what grounded him in the Light. So, he'll be struggling with who he is for a while.**

 **3). The romance aspect, in my mind, is that Ezra and Sabine both like each other. Maybe even love (in Sabine's case). But they're content to stay in the same place as Kanan and Hera, always thinking there's more time. Which means something drastic will have to...I'm going to stop talking.**

 **We are at the tail end of Ep IV, and all that's left is the assault on the Death Star. Then we get to Hoth. We have five chapters before I get a new idea, or we time jump to Ep V. So, someone come up with something, cause I'm out of ideas. But _after_ that, we get to a very exciting time.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	5. Where No One Goes

**Thanks to Guest, LethalJustice94, MaverickSawyer, ProfessorEtcetera, Grey Jedi Anakin Skywalker and Guest for the feedback!**

 **Several of you have mentioned the idea of Ezra and Sabine going on an op to get supplies for Echo Base. And, as a result, there are several more chapters in the future.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Ezra narrowed his eyes at the news. "Leia is back? That's not usually how it goes."

Hera had commed early in the morning. Apparently, a beat up YT-1300 Freighter had arrived, bearing a smuggler and his co-pilot, a farm boy, and Leia Organa. Kallus knows them. They had also brought the Death Star schematics Rogue One had stolen.

 _"_ _I don't know what to tell you, Ezra."_ Hera sounded concerned herself. _"But she's back."_

Ezra thought for a moment. "Vader would have taken her to the Death Star, right?"

 _"_ _Yes. Leia confirmed it."_

Ezra shook his head and looked at Sabine. "We've seen that thing. It shouldn't have been that easy for them to escape. A farm boy and two smugglers couldn't have done that. Not if Vader was on board."

 _"_ _Apparently, they had help from a Jedi Master."_

Ezra froze. "Master Kenobi? He's here?"

Hera was silent. Silent for too long. "No." Ezra stared out the viewport. "No."

Sabine focused her attention on the comm. "Have Chopper check that Freighter for any tracking equipment. If we were able to be tagged, they could be too."

A few minutes later, Hera came back on the comm. _"Chop says that the Freighter was tagged. I'm headed to the Ghost now, we leave in ten."_

Ezra glanced at Sabine. "Why are we leaving? From what I hear, Rebel Command is planning on attacking the Death Star. We could help."

Sabine shrugged. "We can't risk the little one. I'm all for attacking the Death Star, but the truth is, neither of us are good enough pilots."

Ezra sighed and nodded. "You're right. But this doesn't feel right. Yavin is about to become the next target of the Death Star, and we're running."

Sabine laid a hand on his shoulder. "I agree, but Hera needs us. The child needs us."

Ezra stood, facing Sabine. "So, where do we go from here?"

Sabine thought for a moment. "We're going to need a new base. Somewhere that the Empire won't think to look."

Ezra stared out the viewport. "Or somewhere the Empire won't be able to follow. You thinking Krownest?"

Sabine shook her head. No. The snow and ice may make for a difficult time, but my family is _not_ going to allow a Rebel Base to be built. They are barely acceptant of you. And most of that is due to the fact my parents like you."

Ezra smirked. "Glad to know that. I won't anticipate a firefight next time I visit." He sighed, looking thoughtful. "So, somewhere cold enough to inconvenience the Empire, but not Krownest."

Sabine nodded. "We'll think of something. If we are sent for reconnaissance."

"It makes sense." Ezra sat down in the co-pilot's chair. "We can't risk joining the attack on the Death Star because of the child, nor can we stick around because this planet might be destroyed. We've already done this on Atollon, we can do it again."

"Ironically." Hera walked into the cockpit. "Rebel Command said the same thing."

Ezra nodded. "So, what's the plan?"

Hera sat down, hand absently going to her middle. "Sounds like you and Sabine already have most of it figured out. As to where we go, I don't know." She looked at Sabine. "Would your family have any suggestions for us?"

Sabine shrugged. "Maybe. They know that edge of space pretty well. We also have some leftover recommendations from Rex."

Hera nodded. "Okay. Ezra, you and Sabine look those bases over. Maybe there's something there. In the meantime, we'll head over to Krownest. If anything else, Sabine will be able to say hello."

* * *

"Ugh." Sabine tossed her head back in dismay. "I didn't realise we had this many bases left over."

Ezra smirked. "At least we get to choose the new location. That's a plus."

Sabine scoffed. "I don't know if I consider it to be a plus right now, Ezra." Her eyes took in the names of planets. "Some of these names…Mygeeto, Kamino, Zygerria. I don't recognise them."

Ezra nodded, glancing through his own list. To save time, the two teens had divided Rex's list in half, each taking a portion. "Here's a planet you might like."

Sabine glanced at the information he had displayed on the Dejarik board. "Hoth. Looks rather inhospitable." She glared at Ezra. "And you thought I might like it why?"

Ezra gave a small smile. "I thought back to the time when Kanan and Hera made you wash down your other works for something you painted in the commons. Of how unhappy you were, yet how excited. At the prospect of getting to refill those spaces."

Sabine raised an eyebrow. "I'm still not getting how you connect this to Hoth."

Ezra looked down for a second. "After everything we've been through over the last few months, losing Kanan, being forced to take a step back, I looked at the planet surface," he zoomed in on the bleak surface of Hoth, of its blankets of endless snow. "And I thought of you."

Sabine shook her head. "Are you saying I'm cold and uninviting?"

Ezra gave a small chuckle. "Not after you let me in. Maybe at first. But, look at the snow, Sabine! Really look at it. Tell me what it reminds you of."

Zeb poked his head in. "Sorry to interrupt, but I heard back from Yavin. The strike force was successful in destroying the Death Star."

Ezra grinned. "That's great! So, what do we do?"

Zeb shrugged. "We're to scout out a new base. That's all."

Sabine stared at the picture for a long moment, before slowly smiling. "A canvas. A massive, blank canvas."

Ezra grinned. "Exactly. It reminds me of, no matter how bleak things get, we can always have a fresh start. Hoth is the picture of that."

Zeb quirked an eyebrow. "What?"

Ezra smiled. "We're just picking places out."

"Do I get to know?"

Now Ezra looked smug. "Patience is not a gift, it must be relearned daily."

Zeb rolled his eyes and walked back to his room as Sabine stared at the Padawan with an appraising look. "Looks like there's an echo of Kanan in there after all."

Ezra nodded. "I would hope so." He stood, extending a hand to Sabine. "Come on, we should tell Hera."

* * *

Hera didn't quite get the imagery like Sabine. "You want to reconnaissance a frozen world for the Rebellion to be stationed?"

Ezra nodded, smiling. "Sabine agrees."

Hera rolled her eyes, muttering something about 'of course she does. It's you.' Then she looked at the teen with a more serious look. "What's the Force telling you?"

Ezra gave a small shrug. "Nothing. The Force is staying quiet on this issue." He neglected to mention that he had quit mediation since Kanan's passing, unable to release the feelings of pain and anger into the Force like he was taught. "But, tactically, it makes sense. Hoth is cold, nearly inhospitable. The Empire has no reason to go there. We'll be safe."

Hera nodded, eyes gleaming. "Sounds like something Kanan would say." She turned to the controls, prepping for takeoff. "Setting course for Hoth."

* * *

Sabine glared at Ezra though her helmet, well aware he could interpret the look even though the biting wind. "Remind me _never_ to let you pick the planet again!"

Ezra gave a cheeky grin, which looked ridiculous through the heavy clothing he was wearing. "You at least see the benefits, right!"

Zeb rolled his eyes. "Oh, there are benefits, all right. Like no one finding your body when I kill you!"

Ezra smirked. _Smirked._ How was he not freezing? "At least you have fur!"

"Do you really think I'm not cold, Loth-Rat?" Zeb spat. "I'm freezing."

"Good." Ezra was still wearing that cheeky smirk. "Then the Empire will lose countless troops to the cold."

"You little…"

"Enough!" Sabine was cold. Cold enough to grasp that Ezra's deluded idea of a base may have some merits. "We're due to check in at the _Ghost_ , and I'd rather get there alive."

Ezra nodded, reaching out with the Force. "The _Ghost_ is about twenty metres that way." He pointed to the south. "We should hurry before the speeders freeze. If Zeb's frozen, they aren't far behind."

* * *

Hera glanced at the weary travellers. "So? How was recon?"

Sabine shook her head in disgust. "Please get that smirk off your face."

Hera laughed. "Zeb left his comm open in case you ran into trouble. I'm just surprised you didn't use Ezra's lightsaber for warmth."

Ezra grinned. "I'm surprised they didn't ask for it."

Zeb elbowed Sabine. "I'm surprised you didn't think of it."

She elbowed back. "Shut up." She glanced at Hera. "Hoth is a nightmare. All we saw was swirling snow."

Hera nodded. "Sounds about right for building a base. Tell you what. We'll all make an expedition out there tomorrow."

Ezra shook his head. "Can't do that. I need one of you to stay on board. The only reason we were able to get home was because I could sense you. If we all go, I have no-one to guide me."

Hera nodded. "Fine. Then I'll stay back with Chopper and work on retrofitting the _Ghost_ to work in these conditions. While you and Sabine go out. I need Zeb to help."

Sabine nodded. "Can we please not go out in dusk this time?"

Hera frowned. "That was my mistake. I didn't realise it was that cold out. Tomorrow will be better."

Ezra nodded, opening the door for Sabine and himself. "Tomorrow then."

As soon as they were gone, Hera turned to Zeb. "Did you feel that?"

The Lasat nodded. "Kits are falling for one another. Eventually, it'll happen."

Hera smiled. "Kanan and I would talk about them a lot. The conversations went from how long until Sabine kills him to how long until Sabine falls for him."

Zeb grinned. "They make quite a team. Tough enough for anything."

Hera hummed. "We'll just have to wait and see."

* * *

Sabine huffed. "Well, at least midday isn't as bad as nighttime."

Ezra grinned. "I'd be worried if it was." He looked around at the soft covering of snow, the blue sky framing an empty white field of flakes. "This blank canvas enough for you, Sabine?"

The girl nodded. "Yep. Alright, Ezra, you've sold me. Hoth is a good location for a base."

Ezra nodded. "Rex said the base was underground, made of snow. Which-"

"Will prevent thermal scans from locating us." Sabine was nodding. Good sign. "The base must be pretty concealed then. Enough so that the Empire isn't here."

Ezra checked his data pad. "Rex told me there is some wildlife here, ridable. We can use them instead of speeders. Might work out better too."

Sabine nodded. "Maybe. What's the outpost called?"

Ezra looked at her, a smirk on his face. "Echo Base."

* * *

 **Chapter Notes!**

 **I. My reasons for not having the _Ghost_ crew stay for the latter half of Hope is pretty much what Sabine listed. Can't risk Jacen, the Empire knows where Yavin is so have the crew leave on recon. That and I can't write space battles. **

**II. We don't know how the Rebels found Hoth in canon, so I decided to make it fun. We never see Rex's list of bases come into play in the canon series, so I added Hoth to that list. Makes sense with Echo being alive and all.**

 **III. Echo Base and Hoth is going to be where a signifigant portion of this story takes place. Well, signifigant portion of what I've written thus far. This story just keeps on growing.**

 **All that being said, the timeline hasn't really been changed at all. Rogue One and Hope happened exactly as the movies went. I assure you, that will change. Mwahahahaha?**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	6. Echoes

**Thanks to Kiseki Fan, Guest and MaverickSawyer for the feedback!**

 **Guest: Thanks for the information. I didn't realise they were only on Echo for a month. Needless to say, this story doesn't go that route.**

 **Shorter chapter than normal, but a lot happens in this one. I have an arc I'm working on for Ezra, starting in chapter four. This chapter is imparative to that arc.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Ezra led the way into the base, lightsaber providing the only light. "Should be a generator around here."

Sabine nodded, shivering slightly. "If the base has a heater, I'm all in. Do we split up?"

Ezra thought for a moment, then nodded. "Comm if you find anything. There may even be a stocked armoury too."

Sabine grinned. "I'll definitely be on the lookout for that!"

An hour later, Ezra was wandering through the halls when his comm hailed. " _Ezra, you there?"_

"Yeah." He looked around. "I think I've found the command centre."

" _Great."_ Her tone wasn't at all pleased. _"Looks like the Republic had the same idea about the animals that we did. There's stables here. Riding gear and everything."_

Ezra nodded absentmindedly, following a cord to-hopefully-a power source. "I think I may be nearing a generator."

" _Good. I-"_ A roar was heard, followed by a scream, and then Sabine's comm died.

Ezra froze. "Sabine!"

No answer.

"Karabast!" Generator forgotten, Ezra raced back the way he came, following Sabine's Force Signature. "No nonono!"

* * *

Sabine wearily opened her eyes, shocked to find herself upside down. Hanging from a column of ice. "Ezra?"

No Ezra, but an animalistic roar reached her ears, and Sabine grabbed her holsters for her pistols. Gone. Slowly, lumbering feet made their presence known, and Sabine stared in horror at a massive snow monster.

The monster reached for her, but the familiar sound of a lightsaber igniting drew both of their attention away. The monster roared, followed by a yelp of pain as the smell of burnt flesh reached her. The monster retreated, leaving Sabine and Ezra alone.

Sabine sighed in relief. "You came."

Ezra nodded. "I always will come." He eyed the ice. "Do you trust me?"

Without hesitation, Sabine nodded. "Yes."

Ezra closed his eyes, throwing his lightsaber towards Sabine, guided by the Force to strike at the ice holding her feet, sending her straight down. Before she could impact the ice, invisible hands caught her, gently manoeuvring Sabine to stand on her own feet. Which she then fell down.

Sabine gasped. "Thanks."

Ezra returned his lightsaber to his belt, gently helping Sabine to her feet. "You save me, I save you. That's how it works."

Sabine nodded, leaning on Ezra maybe a _bit_ more than was necessary. "Yeah. We're a team."

Ezra gently wrapped an arm around her, steadying her. "You good?"

Sabine was silent a moment before nodding. "Yeah."

"Good." Ezra stared at her a moment more before smirking, raising his hand and, a second later, the generator kicked on, lights slowly flashing. "The Force does have its uses."

Sabine huffed, still leaning on Ezra. "Show-off."

Ezra grinned. "I aim to please." He checked his chronometer. "We should head back. We're late for a check-in."

* * *

"So, you got attacked by an ice monster, and you _still_ want to build a base here?" Hera's eyebrows were raised in disbelief. "Even after almost dying?"

Sabine glanced at Ezra. "If we were attacked, then the Empire would be attacked too. It's a line of defence."

Ezra sighed. "Only you would come close to losing your life trying to build a base and become more passionate about staying."

Sabine grinned. "Fortunately, the old base seems to be in pretty good condition. I don't think anyone's been here since the end of the Clone War."

Ezra nodded, mind miles away. Sabine mentioning the Clone War brought back a memory of Kanan.

 _"_ _Focus." The look on Kanan's face was one of amusement, even if the words were stern. "You need to concentrate."_

 _Ezra grunted a response at him, preoccupied as he was at balancing on his hands_ and _trying to lift a crate. Kanan smirked. "Wow. If I knew this would be the key to shutting you up earlier, I'd have started with it."_

 _Ezra huffed, annoyed at the implication, and the crate lifted. But the look on Kanan's face was all wrong, and it broke Ezra's concentration. "Master?" He manoeuvred himself to his feet and stared at Kanan. "What is it?"_

 _Kanan shook his head. "You were acting out of anger; that's why the crate lifted. You can't do that."_

 _Ezra sat on the roof of the_ Ghost _, ready to learn. "Why?"_

 _Kanan joined him. "Because then you're that much more susceptible to the Dark Side. The Dark Side is all about self-gratification. It's dangerous." He looked down. "It's too dangerous."_

 _Ezra frowned. "Is that what happened during the War? Someone fell?"_

 _Kanan slowly nodded. "Yeah, Kid. Someone fell. A fallen Jedi and Clone Order 66 was all that it took." He stood and extended a hand to his padawan. "Come on. Let's try this again."_

 _Ezra groaned as he moved to stand on his hands. "Why is this necessary?"_

 _Kanan smiled. "To teach you to trust in the Force."_

"Ezra?"

He looked up to see the worried faces of Sabine and Hera. "Sorry." Ezra frowned as he noted he was on the couch. "How-"

Sabine smirked. "You were zoning out, so I moved you." She sat beside him. "What happened?"

Ezra sighed. "I remembered an old training lesson from Kanan. From the early days."

Hera moved away. "I need to make sure Zeb hasn't dismantled Chopper yet."

Sabine laid a hand on Ezra's forearm. "What was the lesson about?"

Ezra smiled. "He had me do a handstand while lifting a box. To 'trust in the Force' he said. Personally, I think he just wanted to laugh at me. But he mentioned the Dark Side, of how it's all about self-gratifaction. Of how one fallen Jedi was all it took for the Jedi to die."

Sabine began to get an inkling of what was troubling her friend. "So, you think that you're destined to repeat this?"

Ezra shook his head. "No." He looked down. "I don't know. I know I used the Dark Side willingly, and that the old Jedi teaching is that it'll stain me forever. Now it's just me. No more Jedi. Me. A failed apprentice. The last Padawan in the Galaxy."

Sabine swatted his shoulder. "That's the last bit of moping you're allowed, Ezra Bridger. What would Kanan say?"

That gave Ezra pause, and he looked down. "He'd be disappointed. Like he was when I used the Sith Holocron."

Sabine nodded and steered him outside. "Training. Now."

Ezra gave a small smile. "Who made you my Master?" He winced as Sabine just cocked a hand over her hip and stared. "Right." He shook his head. "Training Sabers?"

Sabine nodded and grabbed the sticks. "You look like you could use it."

* * *

Ezra looked around at the swirling wind and snow and decided to turn it into a time of training for Sabine. "I want you to remove your helmet."

Sabine stared. "Then I won't be able to find you." Her helmet had thermal, which was imperative to finding Ezra. "I'll be blind."

Ezra nodded. "That's the point. You don't always have to see something to know where it is."

"Ezra." Sabine sighed. "I'm not a Jedi. I'm not going to be able to grasp these Jedi teachings Kanan taught you."

Ezra smiled. "You may not be a Jedi, but you can still feel the Force. The only thing that's different between you and me is that I can use the Force."

Sabine shook her head and took off her helmet, stowing it in the _Ghost._ "Happy?"

Ezra didn't respond, just moved into ready position. He could feel Sabine do the same. Truthfully, he wasn't sure if this lesson would work. Sabine wasn't Force-Sensitive. But this was something that could very well come up in the future.

Ezra pounced, watching as Sabine turned in his direction and blocked, but was a few inches off. The point of his stick tapped her arm. "Dead."

Sabine huffed. "Fine. Let's go again."

Two more rounds passed, with Sabine failing to block the blows. Finally, Ezra tried a new tactic. "Don't look-listen."

Sabine growled. "To what? There's too much wind."

Ezra used the Force to block the wind, creating an area of silence around them. "Listen."

Sabine nodded, staring at the swirling snow. It was surreal, watching the wind at work without hearing anything. Then she heard a footstep and whirled, her stick perfectly blocking Ezra's.

Ezra grinned. "Good." He backed up and disappeared into the snow. "Let's try it again."

Two hours passed, and Sabine finally managed to catch Ezra before he attacked, at which point he had smiled a proud smile. "Good work."

Sabine smiled back, staring at the sunset. "Thank you. This was nice."

Ezra returned the sticks to the _Ghost_ , standing beside Sabine. "It's beautiful."

Sabine nodded. "It's not the same as Krownest, but it's close. I think the snow does something to it."

Ezra shrugged. "Maybe. It looks a lot better than Lothal's."

The sun dipped below the ice mountains, and Sabine hummed pleasantly. "You said something, back on Lothal. Just before that last mission. You said, 'I know I can always count on you.'" She stared at Ezra. "What did you mean by that?"

Ezra sighed. "It doesn't matter."

"It does to me."

Ezra was silent for a moment. "I was prepared to go to Thrawn. To delay him from attacking my city so you and the others could get the shield up. But doing so would mean I wouldn't come back. Not right away. The message I recorded before that mission would remind you of how I'm counting on you. To come find me."

Sabine nodded. "I would have. In a heartbeat."

Ezra smiled. "I know. I would too, if it was you." He turned to the _Ghost_. "Come on, we should get inside. We need to find out if the Rebellion is going to use Hoth."

* * *

 **Chapter Notes!**

 **1). Yes, I did copy Luke's encounter with the Wampa on Hoth. Why? Because I wanted to have a scene that shows how devoted to Sabine Ezra is, and how much Sabine trusts him. Also, immatation is the highest form of flattery.**

 **2). I've created a music playlist that is just of Kanan's Theme, which is my favourite sequence in Rebels music. Anyway, I've been pretty much listening to that non-stop, so be prepared to see a lot of Kanan in these next few chapters. I'm personally excited for chapter 7.**

 **3). As aformentioned, Ezra goes through an arc. And training Sabine (a precursor to Luke and Jacen) is the next step. The last six chapters have been about Ezra dealing with Kanan's death. Now we get to him trying to move past it.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	7. Beyond the Grave

**Thanks to TWD Jacob 11 and dld51 for the feedback!**

 **Edit: This chapter was originally posted on December 11, 2018. Following Clone Wars Season 7 episode: Shattered, I have updated this chapter. As is such, spoilers for Clone Wars S7 are here, and if you don't want a plot twist from a decade ago shown, turn back now.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

Hera stared. "What do you mean, the Rebellion isn't coming?"

Princess Leia sighed. "There was a raid on Yavin. Before all our troops could leave. We are fractured, scattered. I am, however, sending you a small company of soldiers."

Hera nodded. "We'll have Echo Base ready for them." Unwillingly, Echo Base had become the Spectres base of operations for the time being. Mostly because Ezra and Sabine loved it. They had taken to sparring in the hallways using their sticks. Sabine was hardly on Ezra's level, but at least the fights weren't solely Ezra teaching her. And there was enough physical combat mixed in to keep the Jedi on his toes.

Leia smiled. "One of the troopers is Captain Luke Skywalker. He was being trained by General Kenobi before his death. Do you think Ezra would-"

Hera nodded. "He would be happy to, I'm sure." Not quite sure, seeing as how Ezra was still hesitant to teach Sabine some tips, and there was no-one closer. Adding an unknown Force-Sensitive might make things difficult.

She looked out the doorway of the Command Centre, where Ezra and Sabine were sparring. "Ezra?"

Ezra flipped over Sabine, head turned to Hera. "Yeah?"

Hera sighed. "I need to talk to you for a moment."

Ezra Force-Pushed Sabine back, careful to ensure she landed softly, and joined Hera. "What's up?"

Hera was silent for a moment. "Princess Leia called. She's sending a small group of soldiers here. One of them is Force-Sensitive."

Ezra caught her drift and shook his head. "No."

Hera frowned as Sabine joined them. "You're training Sabine."

"That's different." Ezra sighed and walked a few meters away. "Sabine and I work constantly, always prepping for when we might meet another Inquisitor or Vader. I've given her some tips on how to effectively fight against Force Wielders. But I'm not going to train someone in the ways of the Force."

"Why?" Sabine stepped forward. "I've learned a lot in the past few weeks."

Ezra turned to face her, the fire in his eyes softening somewhat. "I'm not Kanan. I can't do what he did. My own Jedi training was incomplete."

Hera shook her head. The whole discussion reminded her of the early days when Kanan was doubtful of training Ezra. "You know, Kanan had the exact same arguments as you. He had only been a Padawan when his Master was taken, how could he live up to her example? Look what he did."

Ezra sighed. "Sparring with Sabine and giving pointers and training someone in the ways of the Force are very different."

Hera laid a hand on his arm. "Would you train my child?" She asked softly.

Ezra looked away. "That's not fair."

"Would you?"

Ezra was silent for a moment. "Yes, I would. If your child was Force-Sensitive, I would."

 _Trapped_. "So why don't you train this one?"

Ezra didn't answer, just left the Command Centre, resting his stick on the wall. As he left, Sabine looked at Hera. "Who's the kid?"

Hera pulled up a briefing. "Captain Luke Skywalker. He was the pilot that destroyed the Death Star."

Sabine frowned slightly. "Skywalker. I've heard that name before."

Hera thought for a moment. "There was a Jedi in the Clone War named Skywalker."

Sabine snapped her fingers. "That must be it. If it was during the War, Rex should know, right?"

Hera pulled up the old Clone's frequency. "Let's find out."

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

Ezra started pacing the halls of Echo Base. Who was he to train someone to be a Jedi? He had failed his Master spectacularly when he used the Sith Holocron. How could someone that used the Dark Side willingly train someone?

 _Fine, let's go again._

 _No. You should practice with Ezra first._

 _Kanan!_

 _Ezra, walk her through the forms._

Ezra sighed. Kanan, knowing his history, had trusted him to train Sabine. How was this any different?

 _Because Kanan was no longer there._

Ezra dropped to his knees in a meditative position. "What am I supposed to do?" He asked the Force. "Kanan never prepared me for this. I don't know how to train someone!"

 _Neither did I, Kid._

Ezra's head shot up. "Kanan?" He closed his eyes. "I'm not you. I can't train this kid."

A chuckle could be heard. _I thought the same thing, back when you first joined. I tried to have Luminara train you because I was only a learner when the Order fell._

Ezra frowned. "But you _did_ train me! You trained me well!"

 _I know, Kid. But in the beginning, I wasn't confident in my ability at all. But there is no try. So I did train you. Just like you have to train my son._

Ezra's eyebrows shot up. "Son?"

Another chuckle. _Yeah. There's no one I trust more. They're going to need you. Stand by your family._

Ezra lowered his head in shame. "I can't be you. I already fell to the Dark Side."

 _But you came back stronger in the Light for it. Your desire to save your family precipitated your fall, and perhaps less blameworthy that is._

Ezra leaned back on his heels. "Am I a Jedi?"

 _Search your feelings, Ezra. Do you feel like a Jedi?_

"…yes."

 _Then you have your answer._ Kanan sounded pleased.

Ezra shook his head. It couldn't be that easy. "But I failed! I failed you after Malachor and I failed them in almost leaving!"

 _So, only perfect beings can be Jedi?_

Ezra paused. "No, but-"

 _Was I a Jedi?_

Ezra nodded. "You were a great Jedi, Master."

 _I wasn't perfect. I lost my way for a long time after the War. Hera saved me, and you gave me purpose. This is your purpose, Ezra._

"Am I to train the Force-Sensitive?"

 _You are to instruct him._

"There's a difference?"

Kanan's voice had a wry smile to it. _Kid, did I instruct you, or did I train you?_

Ezra smiled too. "You trained me."

 _Instruct him. There are dark days coming. The future of many things have been altered._

Ezra frowned. "Because of my decision?"

 _The Galaxy is stronger because you are here. But the Empire will be relentless in hunting down the Last Jedi. You will need to be ready._

"Even though I used the Dark Side?"

 _What did you learn from the Dark Side?_

Ezra reflected. "Nothing but pain and fear. I was always so afraid of losing everyone I loved, and I would push myself to exhausting to prevent that."

 _Then you_ do _have something to teach the kid. And my son._

Ezra nodded. "Yes, Master."

Sabine silently crept back the way she came. She had been sent by Hera to find Ezra, but she wasn't about to interrupt him. Especially when it seemed he was talking to Kanan.

She returned to the Command Centre, smiling at the holoprojection of Rex. "Captain. We have a question for you."

Rex nodded. "About General Skywalker?"

Hera sighed and folded her arms. "Who was he?"

Rex smiled, but it was twinged with sadness. "Anakin Skywalker was my Jedi General in the Clone War. He was a brave fighter, who never hesitated to put his life on the line to protect his friends. He was always first on the front line, leading us into countless battles."

"What happened to him?"

Rex's face hardened. "Official story was that he was killed by Darth Vader on Mustafar."

Hera frowned. "Official?"

Rex sighed. "I was on Mandalore with Commander Tano when Clone Order 66 was issued. We had just captured Maul and was transporting him back to Coruscant. I received a transmission from Darth Sidious, instructing me to kill my Jedi." He closed his eyes. "And I complied."

Hera's eyes widened. "But…you told Kanan…"

The old clone nodded. "I lied. If I had told Kanan the truth, that Commander Tano removed my inhibitor chip _after_ Clone Order 66, he would have killed me. But, after the transmission, Ahsoka ran to me, told me that something happened to Anakin. Something she sensed _before_ the Order was issued."

Sabine scowled. "What does that mean?"

Rex was silent for a long moment. "It means that General Skywalker was the Jedi that betrayed the Republic. He became Darth Vader."

Hera processed the news and looked at her brief. "So who's Luke Skywalker?"

Rex shrugged. "I don't know. The General was married to a Senator, something they never published. I suspect only myself, General Kenobi, and Commander Tano know of it. It's possible Luke is their son."

Well," Hera looked at her report. "He's apparently Force-Sensitive, so there's a connection."

Rex scratched his beard. "Maybe. I would suggest keeping it under wraps anyway. There's probably a very good reason that no one knows about the General's son. We should keep it that way."

Sabine nodded. "I agree. If Vader knew that his son was alive, he would come for him. Probably train him in the Dark Side. We can't allow that to happen."

Hera sighed. "Thanks, Rex. We'll let you know how this goes."

Rex smiled. "Actually, I'll be there with you. I'm one of the soldiers Leia is sending to Hoth. After all, it did use to be a Republic Base."

Sabine grinned. "Thanks. That will help me train these recruits."

Hera raised an eyebrow. "Recruits? Sabine, we have no idea the rank or expertise of these men."

Sabine shrugged. "I'm Mandalorian. I top them."

Rex laughed. "Alright, General, we'll be there in a few days."

As the Clone signed off, Ezra entered the Command Centre. "What did I miss?"

Sabine turned to him. "Not much. Where did you go?"

Ezra shrugged. "Meditation. I know what I have to do now."

Sabine smiled at him and picked up the sticks. "Come on, you can tell me about it while we train."

Ezra smiled back and accepted the stick. "I want you to try something different. Stay on the defensive, but try to evade all my attacks."

While they practiced, Hera smiled, reminded of how Ezra and Kanan would spar. "I think we did all right with these two, Love." She rested her hand on her middle. "I just hope I'll do the same with this one."

The feeling of a hand resting on her shoulder returned, and Hera gratefully returned the gesture. "Thank you, Kanan."

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

 **I). I am aware of the fact that Luke is a Commander during the events on Hoth, but I feel as though it would be far too confusing having both him and Ezra hold that position. So, Luke's a Captain.**

 **II). Kanan's my favourite Jedi, and I can't seem to let go of him. And I figured there was no one else who could give Ezra advice. The bond between Master and Padawan is nigh unbreakable, even through death.**

 **III). This story is about Ezra, not Luke. About how one seemingly small decision can impact a galaxy. As is such, Luke isn't a main character.**

 **IV). I wrote this chapter long before the news of Clone Wars S7 arrived, so I had to come up with my own backstory as to why Rex didn't execute Clone Order 66. Well, the newest episode of CW, Shatters, aired on Disney+ today, and it showed me that backstory. Naturally, I had to dig through my archive and fix this chapter.**

 **I suppose that means one day this entire story will be changed, because Star Wars will never end.**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Judge**


	8. Fostering Feelings and Harbouring Hatred

**Thanks to Guest for the feedback!**

 **Guest: I can't promise that there will be _too_ many interactions with the OT characters, as this story is about Ezra and Sabine, and I can only see Leia and Luke relating. But we will get some interactions. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

The shuttle landed without incident, and the Spectres watched as Rex directed his men to the barracks. Then he joined the small group. "General."

Hera smiled at him. "Commander. Who do you have?"

Rex gestured to his men. "Commander Wolffe, Captain Luke Skywalker, Squadron Leader Wedge Antilles, and R2-D2."

Sabine frowned. "A droid?"

Rex grinned. "R2 was General Skywalker's. Saved our lives numerous times during the War."

Ezra turned -to see a young man staring at him, eyes vaguely accusing. "Rex? Who's that?"

The old Clone groaned. "Luke! Go stow your stuff! Then you can meet the team."

Luke ran off, and Ezra turned back to Rex. "What was that about?"

Rex sighed. "General Kenobi died on the Death Star. Luke watched him go. I told him that you had stowed away to Tatooine and met him."

Ezra nodded. "So he's bitter?"

Rex shrugged. "I don't know. But he's aware you're going to be giving him some pointers."

Ezra sighed. "Great. Training should be interesting." He turned to Sabine. "You're helping."

Sabine laughed. "Great. You're dragging all of us to watch the implosion you call life. And we're all going to be there to watch it collapse."

Ezra rolled his eyes. "Thank you, Sabine. Always appreciated." He turned. "Come on. There's a loading bay out back we can use."

* * *

Sabine stared at the Jedi as they walked through the Base. "What's your plan?"

Ezra shook his head. "I don't know. I'm not even sure this is a good idea. The kid's the exact same age as I am. He's not going to take me instructing him well."

Sabine raised an eyebrow. "If you're so convinced it's a bad idea, why bother?"

Ezra was silent for a moment. "Kanan told me to." And he'd follow his Master all the way to the Emperor's Chambers unarmed if asked. "That's why."

Sabine nodded. "So come up with a plan."

Ezra sighed. "I was thinking, with what Rex shared, to repeat what Kanan did with you on Atollon. What you tried to do with me on Yavin."

Sabine raised an eyebrow. "Making the kid so frustrated that he lashes out? I fought Kanan out of anger. I don't think you want Luke to fall to the Dark Side."

Ezra nodded. "Probably not. But I need to gauge how good he is with a lightsaber." He smirked. "He might end up sparring with you."

Sabine sighed. "You're copying Kanan again."

Ezra shrugged. "It worked. Look how good you are."

Sabine smiled. "Much of that is because of you." She touched his hand. "Thank you."

Ezra turned a light shade of red and looked away. "It was nothing." He mumbled.

Sabine stifled a laugh, smiling at how little it took to make him blush. On a more serious note, it showed her that Ezra's feelings hadn't gone away. He had just buried then deep enough for them to become close friends.

They entered the loading bay, and Ezra handed Sabine his lightsaber. "Let's try something new."

Sabine frowned. "I thought you were training Luke?"

Ezra picked up a stick and smiled. "I am, but I can't very well forget about you, can I? This might help me with Luke too."

Sabine shrugged and ignited the lightsaber. "Okay. What do you want to try?"

Ezra smirked. "Turn the blade to low-power mode." She did, and the blade visibly dulled. "Even though the blade won't cut limbs off, it will still burn."

Sabine caught his drift. "So all I have to do is find an opening. That's your lesson?"

Ezra nodded. "It's all about patience." He casually put a hand behind his back and assumed ready position. "Begin."

Sabine stood her ground for a moment, gauging Ezra's defences. After Malachor, Kanan and Ezra had begun trying something new. Kanan had explained that, in order to defeat the Inquisitors, they needed something different. They had begun researching Form II, a lightsaber form that was about waiting for the opponent to make a misstep and leave themselves open to counter-attack. It was the very form Kanan used when he was training Sabine.

Sabine charged with the lightsaber, starting with a vertical swipe that Ezra easily evaded. Which was Sabine's plan. She spun, holding the sword horizontally from her body. Ezra blocked the blow for a moment, long enough to redirect the blade upwards, then ducked underneath it. He grinned. "Is that all you got?"

Sabine thrusted the saber forward, using the very move Kanan had told her time and again wasn't going to work. And it didn't. Ezra dodged and caught her wrist, pulling her close. "I thought Kanan talked to you about that?"

Sabine smirked. "He did." She wrenched her saber hand free and tried to stab Ezra with it, but he flipped over her head, sweeping her legs out when he landed.

As she landed, Ezra held a hand out to her. "Again."

Sabine huffed, grabbing his hand and standing. "I don't see the point of this."

Ezra smiled. "Patience." He assumed ready position. "Again."

This time, Sabine advanced cautiously, eyeing Ezra's form. The downside to the one-handed grip on the stick was that there was limited strength to block. Which meant the brute force was her best option.

She charged, feinting a horizontal swipe that she turned into a vertical jab. Ezra, recognising the move, blocked it, hand still behind his back. "You know that's my move."

Sabine grinned, relishing the opportunity to throw one of Ezra's lines back at him. "Hey, I steal from the best." She twisted out of the lock, aiming a blow to his side.

Ezra blocked it, and Sabine increased power, slowly edging the blade towards his side. But Ezra was quicker, sliding the blade to the side and stepping back. "Do you see it yet?"

Sabine scowled. "See what?"

Ezra reassumed ready position. "Look closer."

Sabine stared at his form, eyes roaming over every point. Then, it dawned on her. "Using the one-handed grip leaves your off hand side open."

Ezra nodded. "Yes. No matter what form an enemy uses, there will always be a weakness. You have to find the weakness, and exploit it." He returned the stick to its place and took his lightsaber from Sabine. "All you have to do is outlast your opponent long enough to find the weakness."

Sabine hummed in agreement. "What are you going to do for training?"

Ezra sighed. "I don't know. I might just start where Kanan did with me."

Sabine arched an eyebrow. "You're going to let Luke steal the holocron?"

Ezra chuckled. "No. But I will have him open it. It should determine his level of training."

* * *

"You want me to do _what_?"

Ezra called on his training to prevent him from sighing in impatience. Like he had the last four times. "I want you to use the Force to open this holocron."

"But isn't it enough that Ben taught me about the Force?"

Ezra closed his eyes. "Master Kenobi wasn't around long enough to teach you everything you need to know."

Luke scoffed. "And you are?"

Ezra balled his fists. "I'm not your Master. I'm someone who's trying to help you." He shook his head and stood. "If you don't want it, fine. Go roam the swamps of Dagobah or something."

Luke sighed. "Look, Ezra, I'm sorry. I'm just not sure about someone, especially someone my age, taking Ben's place."

Ezra sat back down. "I'm not trying to take your Master's place. But he wasn't able to teach you everything you need to know about being a Jedi. I can at least give you some pointers."

Luke stared at the holocron, raising a hand to it. After a few moments struggle, the cube wobbled to life, edges separating.

Ezra nodded. "Good job."

* * *

Hera smiled as Ezra slumped down in the co-pilot's seat, looking for all the world like Kanan did in the beginning. "So?"

Ezra groaned. "Was I as thick-headed as Captain Skywalker?"

Hera raised an eyebrow as Sabine entered and sat down. "You used to question every lesson Kanan gave you. Kept on thinking that you knew better."

Ezra buried his head in his hands. "Great. I get the student that's worse than I am."

Sabine stifled a laugh. "You've made some progress, at least."

Ezra mock glared at her. "It's been two months, Sabine."

"Speaking of," Hera interjected before the two could get into a battle of wits. "Rebel Command has us on Hoth until Jacen is born."

Ezra nodded. "Four months. We can do that."

Sabine glanced at Hera. "Jacen?"

Hera nodded, hand resting on her middle. "His name."

Silence reigned for a few minutes, before Ezra sighed. "Kanan would have liked the name."

Hera smiled. "I thought so. No go." She shooed them out of the cockpit.

Ezra chuckled as the door closed. "Been a while since I've been kicked out."

Sabine grinned. "Yeah." She frowned as she took in Ezra's expression. He seemed to be thinking deeply. "Ez?"

He shook his head. "Something doesn't feel right."

His eyes were unfocused. The same thing had happened whenever he had a vision. "Ezra?"

Ezra's eyes cleared, and he shook his head. "Sorry. I'm fine."

Sabine narrowed her eyes. "You know I know when you're lying, right? I'm pretty sure I'm the best friend you have."

Ezra smiled, but it seemed forced. "I'm good. Come on, It's getting late."

Sabine scowled as Ezra walked towards his room. Something was definitely wrong, but what? It could be something as simple as the burden of being a teacher, or something far worse.

And Sabine had no idea how to help.

* * *

 **Chapter Notes!**

 **I).** **Regarding how Luke acts in the first part of this chapter, I view this as taking place about a month after ANH. So, Luke is still that whiny farmboy we see. As such, I've attempted to keep with that.**

 **II). Ezra's comment about how Sabine 'stole his move' is both a repeat of what Kanan told him while they were sparring, and a reference to Season 2, Episode 31, while Kanan and Ezra are fighting the Inquisitors.**

 **III). I _did_ jump a little bit, but that should be clear as to why in a few chapters. Same thing with the miniature cliffhanger. It's all building up to something big.**

 **I have a question for you guys. I'm writing a few chapters in advance, and I've reached a sort of crossroads. I can either slow down this story and focus on one plot that's unique to the Rebels, or have them continue to fight in the Galactic War. Depending on which gets chosen, this story will either have more chapters, or you'll be seeing a new story in the near (hopefully) future.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	9. Training Daze

**Earlu update because my life is about to get very busy**

 **Special Thanks goes to Springfieldbluebird for assistance with the latter half of this chapter. She has an multiple story arc set after Rebels that I strongly recommend you guys reading. You won't be disappointed!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"Focus." Ezra took a step back, relinquishing more of his hold on the door. "Don't let go."

Luke was visibly straining under the effort of holding the hanger door open. "It's too big!"

Ezra took another step back, and the door jumped down several centimetres. "Size matters not. A rock or a ship is no difference to a Jedi."

Luke grunted. "I'm trying!

Ezra relinquished more control. "Do or do not; there is no try."

The door, while still not too far off the ground, was now holding steady, and Ezra completely dropped what end he was holding, and the door jumped further down, with Luke straining.

Ezra could sense Luke's frustration and annoyance in the Force, and the door started to raise once more. "Luke, stop!"

The door slammed shut, and Skywalker turned on him. "Why? Why stop? I was getting it."

Ezra shook his head. "No, you weren't. You were using your anger to open the door. You can't do that."

Luke looked angry. "Why?"

Ezra folded his hands behind his back. "Anger leads to the dark side. You go there, you're no better than Vader."

Luke scoffed. "I won't be like that monster."

Ezra took a step forward. "Listen to me. The Dark Side offers quick result, but it's a trap!"

Luke folded his arms. "Not for me!"

Ezra's mind flashed back to when Kanan discovered he had the Sith Holocron. "You won't be able to control it. You use the Dark Side and it will be in control."

Luke shook his head. "No one can't be redeemed."

Now Ezra scoffed. "Really? My parents were killed because of an Emperor who can't changed. My Master was killed by an unyielding Empire. Some people are past redemption. If you fall, you very well may fall in that category. And you'll be past my help."

"I don't need your help!"

 _I can't let you keep it._

 _Fine. I don't need it. Just like I don't need_ you!

Ezra said nothing, just followed Kanan's example and walked away.

* * *

Hera sighed as Ezra slumped in his seat. "Tough day?"

Ezra groaned. "I'm not a good teacher for the kid. He needs someone who is actually versed in the Force. But they're all gone. Master Kenobi, Kanan, all the Jedi of old. It's just me now."

Hera laid a hand on his shoulder. "So what do you want us to do?"

Ezra stood. "I'm going to meditate. Somewhere, there has to be another Jedi. Kanan couldn't have been the last."

When he was gone, Hera touched her comm. "Sabine, I need to see you."

A few moments later, Sabine entered the cockpit. "Yeah?"

Hera gestured. "Sit down." As she sat, Hera leaned back. "Has Ezra ever mentioned any other Jedi to you?"

Sabine shook her head, frown firmly planted on her face. "No? Why aren't you asking Zeb. He's Ezra's bunkmate."

Hera gave a sly smile. "Maybe, but you know him better than any of us."

Sabine's frown grew. "We're partners. Sorry I couldn't be of more help, _General Syndulla,_ but you should ask Zeb."

"Sabine." Hera gazed at her. "You're lying to me."

Sabine met her gaze. "I gave him my word. I'm not about to break that. Not to him."

Hera narrowed her eyes. "I'm asking you, as your commanding officer, to tell me the truth. You're breaking your word to _me._ "

Sabine was silent for a moment. "I'm sorry, Hera. But I can't."

Hera sighed and touched her comm. "Ezra, cockpit now."

A minute later, Ezra entered, wary as he took in their faces. "Yeah?"

Hera spun in her chair. "Sabine's hiding something from me on your behalf. I think that there is a Jedi still alive, and neither of you will tell me. Why?"

Ezra glanced at Sabine, then back to Hera. "It's not my place to tell."

Hera shook her head. "Fine. Keep your secrets."

Ezra gestured to Sabine, and she stood. "I'm sorry, Hera."

As the door closed, Sabine looked at Ezra. "Why aren't you telling her?"

Ezra sighed. "If I tell Hera that Master Yoda lives, then that news will get kicked up the chain to Senator Mothma. Which means the Empire will have a far better chance of discovering it." He shook his head. "If Luke's to discover Master Yoda, it will have to be the will of the Force."

Sabine nodded. "Alright. I trust you. Now, we should go to bed before we wake the little one up."

Six months had passed since Rex and the others had arrived. In that time, Jacen Caleb Syndulla had been born and Ezra had agreed to train him when Jacen was old enough.

Ezra had also begun helping Luke Skywalker. He had told Sabine that he viewed it as a precursor to training Jacen. "Kanan started with me, and moved on to you. I'm starting with him to be the best teacher I can be for Jacen."

Privately, Ezra had begun admitting to her that he felt inadequate. He was no Kanan Jarrus, just the half-trained Padawan. Most of those doubts from day one, even with help from his Master, hadn't gone away.

Hera, for her part, just smiled. "He reminds me a lot of Kanan. Kanan wasn't a Padawan for that long before the end of the war. He told me time and again in the beginning that he was afraid. Afraid that he would fail Ezra because of the fact he never completed his training. And look how he did. Ezra will do fine."

Sabine shook the thoughts away and smiled at Ezra. "Probably. You know how cranky he gets."

Ezra smiled back and retreated to his room, cautiously slipping in as to not wake Zeb. Sabine smiled fondly and took a seat on the couch, smile fading as she thought about her reason for not sleeping.

 _"_ _NOOO!"_

 _The scream caused Sabine to drop her paint canister and sprint for Ezra's room, hand already grabbing for her pistol. The last time he had screamed like that, a planet had been destroyed._

 _She burst into his room, hand letting go of the gun as she took in the scene before her. Ezra was on the floor, almost curled up in a ball. Covered in a cold sweat and screaming a name that broke her heart._

 _"_ _Kanan!"_

 _Without hesitation, Sabine pulled Ezra into her lap and held him close. "Ezra, you're okay." She whispered gently. "Wake up."_

 _After a few minutes, he finally did. "S'bine?"_

 _She nodded. "I'm here."_

 _He didn't struggle in her grasp, just held on tighter. "Sorry."_

 _Sabine shook her head. "You're fine. But you're lucky Hera and Zeb are at some meeting." She paused. "What was it about?"_

 _Ezra started trembling again. "The explosion." Sabine already knew which one he was referring to. The only one that would make him scream. "I couldn't save him."_

 _"_ _It's not your fault." Sabine figured this conversation was long overdue. The Spectres had ignored dealing with Kanan's death since it happened, and now it led to this. "He chose to save us. He died so Hera-and Jacen-would live."_

 _Ezra let his head flop down on her shoulder. "I failed him."_

 _Sabine sighed. "You didn't. You never failed him. He was proud of you; of who you became."_

 _Ezra was silent for a moment. "Do you think he knew? About Jacen?"_

 _Sabine thought for a moment then nodded. "Yeah. You told me he could feel something changing in Hera."_

 _After a few minutes, Ezra stirred in their embrace. "Sorry. You-you should get back. Wouldn't want Hera to find us like this."_

 _Sabine laughed and helped Ezra onto his bunk. "Probably not. I get teased enough as it is."_

 _Ezra gave a small chuckle. "I probably would be if-" he stopped, pain flashing though his eyes._

 _Sabine knelt down beside the bed. "If you have another nightmare, come find me. Okay?"_

 _Ezra nodded. "Okay."_

That had been four months ago. Since then, the nightmares were a biweekly occurrence. And something that Ezra, to Sabine's ire, never sought out help for. Annoying as that may be, Sabine knew that, were it her, she wouldn't. So she stayed vigilant, always listening for those screams.

* * *

 _"_ _I don't fear you." Ezra held his sword the way Kanan had taught him, all the while knowing it would be nothing against Vader. While Form III was renowned for being able to deflect blaster bolts for an extended period of time, and while Kanan had modified the Form to deal with Inquisitors, Ezra had seen what Vader had done to his Master._

 _"_ _Then you will die braver than most."_

 _"_ _Ezra?"_

 _He knew that voice. "Kanan! Go! I'll cover you!"_

 _"_ _Ezra, wake up."_

 _A single Force-Push, and Ezra was against the wall, the dark shadow of Vader overhead, lightsaber looming. "Perhaps I was wrong."_

 _"_ _Ezra!"_

Cold water splashed against him, and Ezra opened his eyes, the fearsome mask of Vader replaced by the worried-and frightened-face of Sabine, with a Chopper _bwa_ ing at her feet, a pitcher of water held in his claw. Only then did he realise his lightsaber was out and in a defensive formation to protect his face.

Pieces slowly fell into place. Vader probably knocked Ezra unconsious, and Sabine and Chopper must have brought him back to the _Ghost_. But why not bring back Kanan too? Why bring Ezra back at all if Kanan was still in there?

Groaning, Ezra lowered the saber and stood. "Why did you bring me back here?"

Sabine frowned. This wasn't usually how it went. "Ezra?" She watched as he headed for the door. "Where are you going?"

Ezra opened the door, beginning to run. "Vader's here. Kanan, he need me! Before the Temple explodes!"

Sabine froze. Did he think he was on Malachor? As he ran out of the _Ghost,_ Sabine tapped her comm. "We're going to need the heaters raised to maximum. No matter if it feels like Tatooine."

 _"_ _Copy that_."

Sabine grabbed her warmest parka and slipped her second-warmest on. Then, as an afterthought, she grabbed Kanan's lightsaber and ran out of the _Ghost_.

* * *

 _Ezra, it's not whether or not we fight that matters…_

 _It's how we choose to fight that matters. I know, Kanan. Maybe we're choosing the wrong way._

 _Need a lift?_

 _I thought the Jedi were all gone_

 _Not all of us_

 _Ezra, turn away before it's too late!_

Ezra ran, deeper into the base, focused on that small signature of his Master. Vader must have taken him here after Ezra failed to protect him.

But the signature felt wrong. It was Kanan's, but warped. Mingled with cold. With fear.

"Ezra, wait!"

He didn't stop running. "There's no time! Kanan needs me!"

"Ezra! Stop! Please!"

Ezra ran all the faster. "I _can't_!"

He ran until he could run no more, energy sapped by the cold he couldn't feel. His only thought was to get to Kanan before it was too late. Collapsing to his knees, Ezra struggled to crawl just a few metres further. Kanan needed him.

Kanan…needed…

* * *

"Ezra?" Sabine knelt beside him, alarmed at how cold he was. "Karabast!"

He looked half-frozen. Face pale, lips tinged with blue. He looked close to what a Mandalorian Warrior looked like after being brought in to the compound after being stuck outside during the night in the middle of Devastating Winter.

 _What was Ezra running to?_ Kanan was long gone, and no one knew that better than Ezra. So why would he be running to his Master? It didn't make sense.

Moving quickly, she slipped the parka around him, tightening it as far as it would go. Then she pulled out her comm. "Zeb, I need help over by the generators."

 _"_ _That's all the way on the other side of the base! How did the Kid make it that far?"_

Sabine, despite the predicament, allowed a small smile. "He's a Jedi. He can do things us normal folks can't."

 _"_ _Heh. Tell me about it. I'm on my way. Keep him alive, will ya?"_

Sabine nodded and pulled Ezra into her lap, allowing her warmth to radiate into him. "Just hurry."

* * *

Ezra groaned, eyes slowly opening. Sabine was by his bed in an instant, unconsciously taking his hand. "Ezra?" His eyes widened and he sat up. "Oh, no. Not again."

Ezra got up. "I have to-"

Sabine silenced him by pulling him back down. "Ezra, listen to me. Kanan is-"

"He's in there, I have to save him!"

Sabine shook her head, heart breaking for him. For both of them. "He's gone, Ezra." She whispered, unable to stop the tears. "Gone."

No matter how old she got, Sabine didn't think she'd ever forget the sound Ezra made. He let out a moan-the most broken sound she'd ever heard. She pulled him close, and wept with him. Wept for what might have been. And for what never would be.

* * *

 **Chapter Notes!**

 **I). Ezra doesn't see Luke as his Padawan. While he may have moved past his doubts because of when he used the Dark Side in Season 3, Ezra isn't going to be _teaching_ Luke. Just guiding him. Hence the frustration. **

**II). I can't write baby/young child, and I'm slightly jealous of the writers I've seen who can. Anyway, Jacen doesn't have a major role in this particular series of chapters. Whether that changes, we shall see.**

 **III). Ezra dreaming that he's fighting Vader on Malachor and has to save Kanan was a accidental copy of Springfieldbluebird's story, Not to Yield. Specifically, Ezra flashes back to Malachor and subquently breaks down when he remembers that Kanan died. Powerful scene that apparently got stuck in my subconsious. Hence why I brought Springfield in to help. Giving credit where credit is due, check out Not to Yield.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	10. What Lies Ahead

**Sorry I am late, I didn't have Internet. Awkward.**

 **Thanks to andrewjameswilliams and Guest for the Feedback!**

 **Guest: The OT characters honestly don't have a whole lot to do in this story. So far. That may change.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"Why would you hide this from me?" Hera glared, first at Sabine, then at the sleeping Ezra. "Rebel Command is coming to Echo Base in one week. If Ezra's not up to the task of helping Rex, I need to know."

Sabine sighed. "He is. I never doubted that. But you need to know what's going on with him."

Hera shook her head. "He's struggling with what happened to Kanan. I've heard the nightmares."

Sabine knelt by Ezra, as if checking on him. "It's more than that." She whispered softly. "He keeps waking up thinking that Kanan's been captured by Vader."

Hera's brow furrowed. "How long has this been happening?"

"A week." Sabine took one of Ezra's hands and held it in her own. "First time, he made it all the way to the generators before collapsing. And they're getting worse."

"Worse?" Hera knelt by Ezra too. "What do you mean?"

Sabine looked down for a second before tightening her grip on his hands. "Last one was tonight. Just before I got you. I tried to stop Ezra, but he attacked me."

Hera's eyebrows rose, lek twitching in alarm. "He _attacked_ you?"

Sabine nodded. "Yeah. He kept on shouting for me to get away from his family. I think he thought I was Vader."

"He attacked you?"

Sabine pulled out Kanan's lightsaber. "I protected myself. And I had Zeb for backup." She smiled. "Ezra's lessons came in handy."

Hera stood. "Maybe we should push Rebel Command coming back until-"

Sabine stood as well. "No. Ezra would see that as a sign that we don't trust him. We need to carry on as normal."

Hera folded her arms. "Sabine, he _attacked_ you."

Sabine scoffed. "Not really. See, I've fought Ezra enough to know that if he actually _tried_ , I'd be torn apart in seconds. He proved that our first fight on Yavin. This time, he was sloppy. I had numerous openings."

"So?"

Now Sabine folded her arms. "So, I think some part of Ezra knows that it's all a dream, and is fighting back."

"That or he's unravelling."

Sabine glared. "He's _not_ unravelling."

"Are you sure?" Hera shifted. "You can't think clearly because of the way you feel about him. It's clouding your judgment."

Sabine's glare grew. "What do you mean, 'the way I feel about him?'"

Hera held her hands up. "Nothing. But we can't ignore that possibility."

Sabine narrowed her eyes. "I'll let you know if he has any more incidents. Then you can decide."

Hera nodded and walked out, and Sabine collapsed as soon as the door closed. Was she right? Was Ezra unraveling? Force knew he had enough reason to. Sabine knew enough about Master-Padawan bonds to know that there would be a constant ache from where his bond to Kanan was. Constant pain.

But Kanan had been dead for over a year and a half. Why now? What was going on?

* * *

The Admiral smoothly walked onto the deck of his ship. "Inquisitor, if I may, why are we so far away from the Fleet?"

The Second Brother raised his head. "Our prey is here, Admiral."

"Prey?" The Jedi. "Shall I alert Lord Vader?"

Silence, then a shake of the head. "No. Lord Vader will only insist on personally killing the Last Jedi. And I intend to claim that honour myself."

"Very good, Sir. Our heading?"

The human male smiled. "Hoth."

* * *

Sabine was still holding Ezra's hand when he awoke, sitting up in a moment and calling his lightsaber into his hand. "Ez?"

He stood. "No time. Get the _Ghost_ ready to fly."

Sabine frowned. "Ezra, do you know where you are?"

He nodded impatiently. "Yes, I do. I'm in my room. And the Empire is coming. We're out of time."

Sabine stood. "Ezra, are you sure?"

Ezra, who was heading out of his room, stopped cold. "Yes, I am." He tilted his head back to look at her. "Why are you asking me that?"

Sabine shook her head, grabbing Kanan's lightsaber. "No reason. Come on, let's go."

Ezra used the Force to grab Kanan's lightsaber and attached it to his belt, shaking his head. "No. You're not ready to face a Dark-Sider." He started to head outside. "Get the _Ghost_ ready for launch!"

As he ran, Ezra commed Luke. "Hanger, now!"

* * *

"Sir?" The Stormtrooper Commander was about to touch the Inquisitor's shoulder, then thought again. "We're here."

The Inquisitor opened his eyes. "I sense the Jedi prepping for battle. And he's not alone. A lesser Jedi is with him." He looked at the Commander. "Have your men fire on the other Jedi. I will deal with the Master."

The doors opened, and the troopers ran in firing as they went. Only to be cut down moments later by their reflected blaster fire. A few moments later, it was just the Inquisitor and the two Jedi. One who seemed to be broken, the other afraid.

He laughed. "Is this your Padawan, Jedi? Pathetic."

The green bladed one stepped forward. "Leave now. I don't want to fight you."

The Inquisitor stood, hands casually clasped behind his back. "Oh? I've been fighting you for the past week, in your mind." He could sense the Jedi's shock. "The nightmares? My doing. Sensing where you are the weakest. And now, foolish Jedi, I shall exploit that."

The Jedi held his saber in the traditional salute. "Not if I can help it."

The Inquisitor grinned and returned the salute. "You can't." He charged, lightly attacking to see how the Jedi fought. With two of them, it was harder.

The Master seemed to use a modified Form III stance with some Form II mixed in. A unique brand of fighting that he seemed to have mastered.

The Apprentice was clumsy yet refined, clearly having been taught by the Jedi. But, as both the Jedi and Inquisitor knew, experience was borne out of battle, and that is something a sparring match can't give you. Inexperienced as the child was, he was no match for the Inquisitor, and was thrown against the wall, leaving just the Master.

A few more minutes of fighting, and now the Inquisitor was annoyed. Relentless attacks were meaningless against a form designed to outlast your opponents. And the Jedi wasn't at all surprised by the spinning blades, which meant that he had faced Inquisitors before. And there were very few Jedi that had such a thorough knowledge of Form III. In fact, the best practiser of that form had been Depa Billaba. And Billaba had a young apprentice named Caleb Dume, who the Inquisitorius records had labeled as Kanan Jarrus. And Jarrus had a Padawan by the name of-

The Inquisitor smiled. "Ezra Bridger. At long last."

* * *

Ezra momentarily paused at the way his named rolled off the man's tongue. His first name was said just like Grand Admiral Thrawn would say it. "I am. And you are?"

The Inquisitor chuckled. "Who I am is irrelevant. Just know that I am going to kill you, then your padawan."

Ezra slid into ready stance and smiled. "I don't think so."

The Inquisitor attacked again, but this time it was much more desperate. "You have anger, Bridger. Anger at the Empire for what happened to your parents and your Master. Yet you choose not to harness that power."

Ezra riposted an attack, the blade slicing the Inquisitor's lightsaber in half, one end dying. "I don't need to. I've touched the Dark Side before and learnt nothing but pain. The Light is stronger than the Dark. It always has been." He used the Force to cast the lightsaber aside and pointed his own at the Inquisitor's neck. "And it always will be. Surrender."

The Inquisitor looked at him, fear in his eyes. "Just kill me."

Ezra shook his head. "No."

"If you don't, then my Master will. After he kills you." The Inquisitor shook his head. "You are outmatched. You should have just killed me." Rearing his head back, The Inquisitor impaled himself on the end of Ezra's blade before the Jedi could deactivate it, body falling to the ground.

Ezra stared at the body before grabbing his comm. "Spectre Six to Spectre Two, we need to get out of here. And warn the others that Echo Base is no longer safe."

Hera sighed. " _Too late. The Fleet just arrived out of hyperspace. Ahead of schedule."_

Ezra lowered his head. "It's Attolon all over again." Panic gripped him. "Have the transports land, now!"

" _Are you sure that's the best move?"_

Ezra nodded as he helped Luke up. "No, but we're out of time. We don't know when the Empire is coming, but they could very well be on their way here. If we have no defences on the ground, and an Interdictor shows up, we're done for. This is our only play."

Hera was silent for a long time. " _Alright, Ezra. I hope this works."_

Ezra nodded. "So do I."

* * *

 **Chapter Notes!**

 **I). I had originally written a different ending to this chapter, but then the idea came from you guys to extend their time here. Which is next chapter!**

 **II). Having said that, the Inquisitor was a part of that ending, but I liked his point of view so much that I kept it in.**

 **III). Luke isn't actually Ezra's Padawan. I couldn't think of a title for the Inquisitor to use.**

 **Nearing the end of our time on Hoth!**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	11. A Grim Retreat

**Thanks to LethalJustice94 and AndrewJamesWilliams for the feedback!**

 **A few chapters ago, I asked for help regarding the Rebels time on Hoth. And you guys helped. So we have a new arc.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Ezra rushed in to the Command Centre, nodding at Senator Mothma. "You requested me?"

The Senator nodded. "You and your team have done good work securing this planet, but our defences are not yet complete."

Ezra frowned. "What do you mean?"

Mothma turned to the holoprojecter. "There are a detachment of T-47 Air Speeders that we need to acquire."

Ezra took in the planet. "What world is that?"

"Garel." Sabine entered the Centre, carrying a bag. "I've been assigned this mission too."

Mothma nodded. "It is on record that the two of you have the greatest synergy of any troop combination. I am confident that you will acquire the speeders and arrive here without revealing our base."

Ezra smiled, looking at Sabine. "You can count on us."

The Senator looked at him. "You cannot be associated with the Rebellion, so you will need alternate transportation."

Sabine nodded. "Do we have a cover?"

Mothma was silent for a moment. "Yes, you do, but it is, shall we say, unusual."

Ezra frowned. "What do you mean, unusual?"

The Senator looked at Hera, who took over. "Your cover is in the form of a couple, Tama and Eilene Oriena."

Sabine scowled and looked at Ezra. "Did she just say couple?

Ezra nodded. "Seems so. Hera?"

The General sighed. "I realise that this is far beyond what the two of you are used to, but it's necessary."

"Couldn't you send, y'know, a _real_ couple?"

The Command Centre was silent for a long time, before Sabine spoke. "She's right." She admitted softly. "It has to be us. Garel is a dangerous world full of criminals. Any other duo would be killed."

Mothma nodded. "Likely. As for your cover, I do apologise, but the honest truth is, the unique relationship the two of you carry is far more convincing than sending in an actual couple."

Now Ezra scowled. "Explain."

The Senator smiled. "I've monitored the Spectres throughout their service in the Rebellion. In the beginning, I thought that the two of you were a true couple, only to be set straight by General Syndulla. Even now, I have my doubts."

Ezra shook his head and returned his attention to Garel. "If we can't use Rebellion resources, we'll have to take the _Gauntlet._ Imperial presence there is stretched dealing with the crime, so we should be able to slip by." He looked at Sabine, who was intently studying the planet. "Judging on how difficult it is to liberate the speeders, we should be back here in a week."

Sabine shook her head. "Longer." She pointed to where the speeders location was. "That area is Bjorn territory."

Hera frowned. "Bjorn?"

Sabine nodded. "One of the fiercest gangs on Garel. Has no qualms about killing civilians to keep their territory."

"Any ideas?"

Sabine thought for a moment. "We'll figure it out on the _Gauntlet._ " She looked at Hera. "I just hope we'll be back before the Empire arrives."

* * *

Ezra started typing in coordinates. "So, what's the plan?"

Sabine sighed. "The Bjorn gang is relentless in keeping what they consider to be theirs. If they think those speeders being to them, it'll get nasty quick."

Ezra thought for a moment. "What if I create a diversion to draw them away while you take the speeders?"

Sabine scoffed. "I've seen your diversions; they aren't too distracting." She chuckled. "I'm thinking of when we stole the Defender."

Ezra chuckled. "Thanks. So, what do you suggest?"

Sabine looked at him. "Mind trick?"

Ezra shook his head. "If they're as fierce as you say, there's going to be too many for me to trick." He sighed and leaned back as the ship lurched into hyperspace. "We have several problems here; let's work through them."

Sabine nodded. "First up is what are we going to do when we arrive?"

Ezra was silent for a moment. "Thanks to the Senator, we have a cover."

"Right. A couple." Sabine shook her head. "How do we make this work?"

Ezra frowned as he thought. "Tourists. The bucket-heads on Lothal were typically not as strict to paying tourists. That would allow us to at least find out where exactly the speeders are."

"Okay." Sabine stared at him. "Next up is how to get the speeders off-world."

Ezra smirked. "We're ignoring the problem of getting the speeders from the gang?"

Sabine smiled back at him. "We solved it. I'm using you as a distraction while you try to mind trick them."

Ezra rolled his eyes. "I hate you."

Sabine chuckled and stood. "I doubt that."

* * *

 _When are you going to feel you've done enough for this Rebellion?_

 _I guess when the Empire is overthrown and people are free to live their lives the way they want again._

 _And when that time comes, how do you want to live your life?_

 _Huh, I don't know. Guess I never really thought about it._

"General Syndulla?"

 _So I guess you really never thought about us._

Hera sighed and turned. "Senator?"

Mon Mothma smiled. "I requested additional resources from other outposts, one of them I believe you may know."

A beat up freighter landed, and two humans, along with two droids, exited. Hera frowned for a moment, then nodded. "Princess Organa."

Leia smiled. "I am no longer a princess, Hera, just a soldier. And I appreciate everything your team has done." She gestured. "This is Han Solo. The droids are-"

"C-3PO and R2-D2." Hera nodded. "We've run into each other before."

"Captain Solo, General Organa; now would be the best time to get situated in your rooms." Mothma began ushering people. "Time is a luxury we can not afford to waste."

Once they were gone, Hera looked at the Senator. "How many other bases do we have?"

Mothma smiled. "Enough. We have to make it look like this is the primary base. To that end, I have employed Captain Solo to begin planning our defences."

Hera nodded. "Have him work with Rex. Ezra and Zeb will be making trenches when he returns, and Sabine is working on our shield generator."

The Senator shook her head. "We can't afford to wait that long. Commander Bridger's mission may take them several weeks. We need those defences now."

Hera sighed. "I understand, but Sabine is the best person to work on that shield. She's the only reason we survived Atollon."

"Then we had best hope they return soon."

* * *

"Eilene." Ezra casually looked around the spaceport. "Any progress?"

Sabine's voice was resigned, likely because of the cover names. " _Not in the way you're expecting, Tama. Sorry."_

Ezra sighed. "It's fine. You know where to find me."

Disconnecting the comm, Ezra leaned back in his seat. It had been Sabine's suggestion that they only refer to the other by the cover names. She had been optimistic that the mission wouldn't take more than two weeks. Judging by her tone of voice, she no longer thought that.

Sabine had only been gone a standard half hour, so Ezra was surprised when she tapped him on the shoulder. "Hey."

Ezra stood. "Hey." Inwardly, he was aware that they were to act as a couple, but who would notice? "I rented us a housing unit."

Sabine sighed. "Yeah, I guess that's for the best. This isn't going to be a quick op."

* * *

Sabine looked around. "Roomy."

The room was relatively small, a touch larger than their cabins on the _Ghost._ And possessing of the same number of beds.

Ezra sighed and grabbed a pillow from the bed. "I'll take the floor."

Sabine scowled. "Or, I take the floor. Ezra, you paid for this room with your own credits!"

He shrugged. "I'd rather sleep on the floor than take the bed and watch you sleep there."

Sabine smirked. "Then I guess we share." She laughed as Ezra's face went an _interesting_ shade of red. "What? Our cover is a couple after all."

Ezra sputtered. "But…What…"

Sabine grinned. "You decide what you're saying, and I'll answer." She calmly walked over to the bed. "Just be glad it's a double."

Ezra was silent for a long moment. "Fine." He sat on one side and looked at her. "What's the plan for tomorrow?"

"First we have to gauge the Imperial presence. No doubt they've increased since our base here. We have to find out how much." Sabine sighed. "Then we have to find the speeders and take them from the Bjorn. Then ferry them back to Command."

Ezra scoffed. "Simple."

* * *

The local garrison on Garel was situated in a building that doubled as a factory. Meaning the troopers could hide behind civilians to protect them. It made Sabine sick.

She looked through her viewfinder. "That Commander…do you see him?"

Ezra peered. "Yeah…is that Mandalorian armour?"

Sabine nodded. "If a Mandalorian is in command here, that means the troopers are bound to be better shots than the standard bucket-heads." She glanced at Ezra. "Stay on guard."

Ezra reached through the Force. "I count ten guards just here alone. They must have really locked down Garel." He scoffed. "And this is the easy part."

Sabine thought for a moment. "If the Commander is an Mandalorian, then we need to split up. I'll sneak inside while you direct me with the Force. Stay in touch over your comm."

Ezra narrowed his eyes. "Are you sure this is the best plan? Splitting up doesn't seem like the best option."

Sabine smirked and stood. "You think I can't take care of myself?"

Ezra sighed. "I think that it's possible the Mandalorian Commander may know you. I'd like to eliminate that advantage."

Sabine dropped back behind cover and removed her helmet. "What's the Force telling you?"

Ezra closed his eyes and concentrated. There was no signal in the Force, but his gut was telling him this was a bad idea. "Nothing, but I still don't like it."

Sabine patted his shoulder. "You just don't like solo ops." She put her helmet back on and stood. "I'll comm you if any problems come."

Ezra frowned, but nodded. "All right. May the Force be with you."

Sabine smiled. "Likewise."

As soon as she was gone, Ezra closed his eyes and began to meditate. The feeling he was getting was still there, but he couldn't figure out what it was. A distant memory popped into his head.

 _"Ezra, you need to calm down."_

 _"How can I be calm? Huh? Sabine's stuck over there and there's nothing I can do."_

 _"That's right. There's nothing you can do. So nothing you are doing right now is going to help."_

Ezra sighed and watched as Sabine slipped into the complex. Then he started to move closer. The feeling of ill wasn't going away.

 _"Do you trust her?"_

 _"Of course I trust her."_

 _"Good. Then trust she'll suceed."_

* * *

Sabine narrowed her eyes. The troopers here weren't wearing standard bucket-head armour. It was reminiscent of clone armour from the days of the Clone War. Whoever this Commander was, they recognised the weaknesses of stormtrooper armour.

Before she could move, a pistol was cocked at the back of her neck. "Don't move, Rebel."

That voice…Sabine scowled. "I know you."

The man laughed. "And I know you, Sabine Wren. It's been a long time since the Academy."

Sabine's eyes went wide and she removed her helmet. "Kei…"

"Turn around."

She did so, and her face fell. The man standing before her had his helmet off, and was smirking. His features were oddly like Ezra's, but his eyes were cruel. "And here I was hoping the stories I've heard were wrong."

Kei laughed. "Come now, Sabine. That was always my path. You know that."

Sabine shook her head. "You helped Ketsu and I escape. We would be dead if it wasn't for you!"

Kei shrugged. "Just because I helped you abandon the Academy didn't mean I wasn't loyal. It just means I saw what the Academy was doing to you. Especially after the Duchess. Staying would have killed you. So, I intervened."

Sabine scowled. "And you betrayed everything you ever worked for when we were kids! I know what you did after I left. Assisting in the massacre on Batonn! Killing those who surrender! Where is the boy I played with growing up? Where is my friend?"

Kei smirked. "He grew up. You know my story, Sabine. My parents were killed fighting against the Empire. I was taken in by Clan Wren and sent to the Academy along with you." He shook his head. "I know your team. How am I any different than Ezra Bridger?"

Sabine's eyes flashed with anger. "Don't you talk about Ezra! He could _never_ be as vile as you!"

Kei shrugged. "Perhaps, but the Jedi still needs to be taken care of." He handed Sabine a comm. "Contact him." He pointed his blaster pistol a worker standing nearby. "Tell him the west corridor is clear."

Sabine was silent for a moment, then nodded. If the pistol was pointed at her, she would disregard the order and inform Ezra, and Kei knew that. He knew she wouldn't risk an innocent life. Slowly, she lifted her comlink to her mouth.

"Ezra." Sabine swallowed. "I'm inside."

" _Is the Mandalorian Commander there?"_

Sabine's eyes flickered to Kei, and he shook his head, trigger finger tightening. "No. He's not here."

Ezra sounded concerned. " _That's not standard protocol. I'm coming in to help you. Where's the best access point in?"_

Sabine closed her eyes. "The west side. The corridor there is clear."

" _Where will you be?"_

Sabine hoped Ezra was as well versed in coded phrases as she was. "I'm in a flank two position." She glanced at Kei. "Try not to hit me."

He was silent for a minute. " _Alright, keep watch for me."_

Sabine lowered the comlink. "He's coming in." She whispered.

The sound of a blaster firing and a body hitting the floor drew her attention, and she stared in horror as Kei lowered his pistol, a satisfied look on his face. "You haven't changed a bit. So predictable."

Sabine's hand crept to her own pistol, before a warning shot caused her to stop. "Neither have you." She spat. "Killing innocents? That's not the Kei I remember."

His eyes flashed. "There are no innocents! Not while Rebellion still exists!"

Sabine lowered her eyes. "Then my friend is truly dead."

* * *

Ezra smiled as he planted a detonator on the door leading to the west corridor. He had translated Sabine's message instantly. Flank Two was a coded phrase meaning that the agent was speaking under duress. If this Commander followed Imperial standards, the east corridor would be the least heavily guarded position on the base. Which was his best chance to get Sabine out of there.

Slipping inside the base, Ezra activated the detonator, smiling as troopers began to fire wildly into the smoke. At the same time, he used the Force to release Sabine's binders and activated his lightsaber. "Let her go."

The Commander turned, jamming his pistol under Sabine's chin. "Stand down or she dies, Jedi!"

Ezra's eyes narrowed. "You pull that trigger, I will kill you." He used the Force to push the stormtroopers away, then pointed his lightsaber at the Commander. "Let. Her. Go."

The Commander laughed. "I won't. And don't bother using any _mind tricks_ on me, Jedi."

Ezra scowled. "What do you want?"

The man smirked. "You. Surrender yourself to me, and I will let Wren go."

"Ezra."

He glanced over to Sabine. "I have to."

She smiled. "Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum."

Ezra had no idea what she said, but the Commander did, his blaster pistol actually lowering as he stared at Sabine in shock. And that was Ezra's moment. Using the Force, he pulled the pistol to him while Sabine punched him in the face, drawing her own pistol.

Ezra stared at the Commander. "What do we do with him?"

Sabine stunned him and looked at Ezra. "I don't know." She admitted. "We can't call for backup, and we can't leave him here."

Ezra frowned. Something was off. Sabine's face was tinted with pink, and she was avoiding looking into his eyes. "What did you tell me?"

Sabine shrugged. "I just told you to abandon me."

Ezra raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

She nodded. "Yep."

Ezra shook his head. "Fine. Keep your secrets, O Mighty Mandalorian."

Before she could respond, troopers began firing at them, and Ezra pushed Sabine away. "Let's go!"

"But Kei-"

"No time." Ezra activated his lightsaber, deflecting blaster shots. "We have to go now!"

"Karabast!" Reluctantly, Sabine led them out of the compound, and Ezra used the Force to slam the door shut. "Back to the housing unit, come on."

* * *

Ezra's mind went back to what Sabine had told him at a time when she thought she was about to die. He could sense it, the resignation to her life ending in that moment.

 _Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum._

"Stop thinking about it." Sabine shot Ezra a glance. "You debating its meaning in your head isn't going to make me tell you."

Ezra raised his hands in defence. "Sorry." He grew serious as he thought over their next move. "Right, so, what's next?"

Sabine sighed. "We're on a timetable now. Kei is going to be gunning for us with everything he has. You in particular. You made a mockery of him in front of his men. Mandalorians take those types of insults personally."

"Great." Ezra muttered sarcastically. "So we have a smaller window to get the T-47's. Any suggestions?"

Sabine thought for a moment. "We have to recon their defences first. We'll go tomorrow."

Ezra smirked. "Fun. Let's just hope Commander Kei doesn't get involved."

"That could be tricky." Sabine admitted. "But also to our advantage. We could use that."

Ezra let his shoulders droop. "Ugh. I wasn't trying to give you an idea."

Sabine smiled. "Think about it! If the Imperials discover this camp, the Bjorns will fire back. Meanwhile, we slip by and get the speeders!"

"So, your idea is to get in the middle of a crossfire?" Ezra sighed. "Wonderful. Why am I not surprised."

"You're just jealous you didn't think of it first." Sabine stood. "Let's go."

* * *

 **Chapter Notes!**

 **I). Ezra and Sabine's cover names came from the story The Signs by chimongra. I highly recommend you read it.**

 **II). Commander Kei is my attempt to add some level of tragedy to Sabine's exit from Krownest. Y'know, more than there already was.**

 **III). If you've read _any_ Sabezra stories out there, then you know what **_Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum_ **means. You don't need me to explain it. But, in case you do, we explore this issue further in the next chapter.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	12. Misinterpreted Situation

**Thanks to LethalJustice94 and V for the feedback!**

 **V: What Might Have Been is on hold while For You Alone is being worked on. I have previously found that working on two stories of the same fiction to be hard. _But_ , if you're in to How To Train Your Dragon, I have some upcoming fics I'm excited about there!**

 **Do you ever wonder if the Rebels have something akin to Google Translate? We can translate French to English and Spanish to German. Can the Rebels-Ezra-translate Mando'a to Basic? That question pegged my mind while writing this. You'll see.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"Commander, we have a signal!"

Commander Kei stared at the screen. "That's right before Bjorn territory. They must be trying to contact their friends for reinforcements. Reinforcements that will never come." He looked at his Captain. "Assemble the squad. I'll lead this one personally."

"And the Rebels?"

Kei smiled smugly as he grabbed his helmet. "Kill Wren. The Jedi is to be taken alive. I want him unharmed."

* * *

Ezra narrowed his eyes as he reached through the Force. "I count ten guards. Two turrets. All for a few speeders?"

Sabine smiled tightly. "The Bjorns are fiercely territorial. If they think the speeders are theirs, they will fight to the death. Luckily, the Empire is on its way."

Ezra snorted. " _Luckily_? I think that's a first."

Sabine smirked and pulled Ezra down as Imperial troopers arrived on the scene, blasters firing. Instantly, the Bjorn's returned fire, and a massive firefight ensued. Moving quickly, Ezra and Sabine snuck through the base, and the Jedi frowned. "How are we supposed to get the speeders out of here?"

Sabine started typing into one of the consoles. "I can tie these together so when one takes off, they all do. Then all you have to do is pilot them back to base."

Ezra frowned. " _I_? What about you?"

Sabine pulled out her blaster pistols and gestured for Ezra to get in. "I'm covering you. It's my turn, remember?"

Ezra shook his head as he started the engines. Sabine had insisted that they trade off who stayed back to provide covering fire. The last time that had been necessary was the Defender Incident, with Ezra refusing to acknowledge their little game after Kanan. "Sabine, I'm a Jedi!"

He could see the smirk through her helmet. "And I'm a Mandalorian. Go! I'm right behind you!"

Ezra closed his eyes as the ships took off. "Kanan said the same thing."

* * *

Sabine nodded once as the T-47's took off. She had no plans to join Ezra, at least not yet. She needed to find out why Kei was trying so hard to get Ezra. She hid behind containers as stormtroopers gained control of the base, and eventually Kei himself entered. "Fan out and _find them_!"

"Sir," one of the troopers saluted. "We have a few-"

Sabine blasted him and pointed her pistols at Kei. "Don't move."

Kei chuckled at troopers surrounded her. "I see your Mandalorian pride has gotten the best of you. You truly haven't changed. Now, where is Bridger?"

Sabine remained defiant. "Why do you want him?"

Kei's face went puce with rage. "He made a mockery of me and this Empire. And I swear I will not rest until I have him in chains before me!"

"Hmm." Sabine smirked. "Well, guess you'll have to wait for another day." Her comlink beeped, and she activated her jetpack. "See ya, boys!"

"Kill her!"

Sabine dodged blaster bolts, all the while heading towards the location Ezra had given her. She smiled fondly; she should have known the idiot wouldn't have left the planet without her. He was too noble. Her mind went back to the day before.

Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum. Mando'a for I love you. Something that had been on Sabine's mind since watching Ezra almost jump into that ventilation shaft on the Dome. Something she couldn't seem to tell him in person.

Inwardly, she was aware of the fact that the two of them had literally become Kanan and Hera before Malachor, and it was frightening to think of what it would take to tell Ezra her feelings. _She_ knew how the Jedi felt, he had literally broadcasted his feelings since day one. And, while it was probable that Ezra knew how she felt, Sabine knew that she owed him a talk.

Unfortunately, that talk was unlikely to happen. Sabine was atrocious at expressing herself with words; one of the reasons she had turned to art in the beginning. She could barely have this conversation with Hera, much less Ezra Bridger.

But she owed him that much, so she kept trying. And praying that the horrible incident that would push them into each others arms would not happen.

Her comlink beeped. _"Spectre Five, I see you. Hold tight."_

Sabine almost sighed in relief. The troopers were closing. "Thank goodness. Just hurry."

The Speeder flipped upside down, and Sabine manoeuvred herself to sit behind Ezra. "We're going to have company."

Ezra smiled. "We always do." He glanced back at her. "You didn't stay behind to provide cover, did you." He watched as Sabine looked down. "You went to confront Kei, to find out why he's doing this." Ezra sighed. "What did you learn?"

"He's after you." Sabine looked out the viewport. "And he's not going to stop until he has you."

"Great." Ezra smiled gently. "One more enemy to watch out for. Come on, let's get back."

* * *

Hera smiled at the duo. "Good work, you two. Any difficulties?"

Ezra rubbed the back of his head. "Not any problems we need to deal with at the moment. Let's deal with the Empire first."

Hera narrowed her eyes. "What does that mean?"

Sabine sighed. "It means that we need to take care of one problem at a time, then move on to the next."

Mon Mothma cleared her throat. "Now that you have returned, there are numerous upgrades that require your attention."

Sabine nodded. "Do we know how much time we have?"

"No. So work fast."

* * *

Ezra caught up to Sabine as they walked back to the _Ghost_. "Did you think I wouldn't find out?"

Sabine felt her cheeks warm. "Find out about what?"

Ezra grinned. "Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum? Really?"

Sabine leant against a wall. "So, what does it mean?"

Ezra's grin faultered. "You tell me."

Sabine's eyes narrowed a little. Either Ezra was asking because he didn't know what it meant, or he was afraid to come out and say it. "Did you think I just said that to get Kei to lower his gun?"

Ezra crossed his arms somewhat defensivly. "I don't know. Why did you say it?"

Sabine sighed. "Do you want the honest answer?"

There was silence for the span of a few seconds, and then Sabine found out why that was the wrong thing to say.

Ezra quickly backed up. "No, not really."

He took off before Sabine could call out and rectify the mistake. Mentally, she kicked herself. Ezra had faced enough flak from Zeb and Kanan over the years to be very wary of talking to Sabine about matters of the heart. No matter how close they got, Ezra would always draw a line in their conversations regarding who the two Spectres were.

Hera had commented on it one time, saying that it was the mirror image of how Kanan was before Malachor. Always fearful, always afraid to broach the discussion of love. And how it had taken nearly losing everything to break that barrier.

Sabine sighed and headed into the _Ghost,_ praying that it wouldn't take another Malachor to break this barrier.

* * *

 **Shorter Chapter than usual, but the next one is a big one. We get to see our fourth main character for the first time...**

 **Chapter Notes!**

 **I). I'm sure I'll get questions about this, so I'll nip it in the bud here. Commander Kei comes back into the story at a later chapter. One I'm quite excited for.**

 **II). There's something Vader said in S2 that is the theme of these chapters. 'Fear has driven them to ground'. Ezra doesn't know if the Empire is coming, but he doesn't want to be caught off guard if they do. For all he knows, the Empire might not even know about Hoth. They're afraid of leaving.**

 **III). I figure Ezra's bound to have _some_ fear asking Sabine about what she said. I mean, the girl _did_ turn him down _all the time_ in S1. If only Sabine could tell Ezra how she feels in Basic...**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	13. All Good Things

**Thanks to Guest and LethalJustice94 for the feedback!**

 **I have a comparison between Star Wars: Rebels and the movie How To Train Your Dragon. Which I also write about. Anyway, I've been looking at similarities** **between the characters on each show. Which might show in a little while.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Ezra stared in horror. "That's a lot of walkers."

It had been six months since the mission to Garel, and Ezra and Sabine had jumped right in to helping prepare Echo Base for the impending Imperial invasion. Sabine had begun working on the Rebels shield generator, and Ezra had worked with Zeb to dig trenches. And avoiding Sabine.

It wasn't easy to do, mostly because the two were used to spending most waking moments together. But Ezra didn't want to face the reality that he was alone.

A laser blast hit nearby, and Ezra leapt into one of the trenches he and Zeb had dug.

Those trenches were being used to their utmost, as Ezra crouched behind them and stared at the walkers. "Spectre Six to Spectre Two! I have six AT-AT Walkers and then AT-ST's. Unknown number of troops."

 _"_ _Copy that, Spectre Six."_

The Empire had finally arrived, after Mart and the Iron Squadron had been tagged with a tracker after recklessly attacking a Star Destroyer.

Ezra smiled as he saw his reinforcements arrive. "What's the status of the others?"

 _"_ _Five is getting Seven, Four and Three are prepping the_ Ghost _for launch."_

"Copy that!" Ezra put away his comm and stared at the troopers.

"Commander Bridger!" One of the men saluted. "Captain Rex sent us."

Ezra nodded. "Right. We're up against AT-AT walkers. The only weak point they have is the base of the neck."

One of the men raised a hand. "How are we supposed to hit with our weaponry?"

Ezra thought for a moment and pulled out his comm. "Rex, you copy?"

 _"_ _Here, Commander."_

Ezra narrowed his eyes at the slowly approaching AT-ATs. "Do the snow speeders still have those tow cables from our last mission?"

Rex was silent for a few seconds. " _They do. But I don't know if the cable's going to be strong enough to take down a four-legger."_

Ezra sighed. "We'll do our best. Scramble the pilots; I'll do what I can from here."

" _Copy that."_

Ezra put his comm away and looked at his men. "Concentrate your fire on the snowtroopers. I'll handle the walkers."

* * *

Sabine scooped up Jacen and rested him on her shoulders. "How's my little man?"

The one-year old squealed in happiness. "Rainbows!"

Sabine looked up in confusion, finding that the falling snow had mingled with the lights to create colours. She smiled. "Leave it to you to find beauty in an evacuation, Spectre Seven." She pulled out her comm. "Spectre Two, I have Seven with me."

Hera sounded relieved. _"Copy that. Six is in the trenches dealing with the walkers and Four and Three are prepping the Ghost for launch."_

Sabine frowned. "Where are you?"

 _"_ _Command Centre. All our files have to be transferred and erased."_

Another blast hit the Base, and Jacen let out another happy squeal as snow dusted them. "Hurry up, Two. We're running out of time."

 _"_ _Put Seven in the Ghost. Three knows his orders."_

Sabine nodded as she entered the ship. "Then I'll hang around for Six to return."

* * *

Ezra used the Force to bolster his jump, using his lightsaber to slice through the walker's leg, toppling the machine. He could hear the men firing at the troopers behind him. "One down, five to go."

The snow speeders arrived, attacking the downed walker, leaving Ezra to scamper away before the walker exploded. Once the noise died down, he pulled out his comm. "Spectre Six to Spectre Five, how close are we?"

Sabine sounded relieved. " _We're waiting on you. How close are you?"_

Ezra counted. "Four walkers left. And they're making short work of the speeders. Lots of troopers."

Sabine was silent for a moment, then returned to the comm, panic in her voice. " _Six, get back here now!"_

Ezra frowned. "What's going on?"

 _"_ _Vader's here!"_

Ezra instantly used the Force to leap onto a snow speeder, directing the pilot to fly back to Base. "On my way!"

* * *

Luke Skywalker glared at the masked man. "You killed my father."

Vader tilted his head. "I have killed a great many fathers. You will have to be more specific."

Luke attacked. "Then let me remind you. He fought, like this." He swung his lightsaber at the monster, only to find that he was pushed several meters back against a wall.

Vader loomed. "In time, you will discover your true heritage."

"I don't think so." Ezra stepped forward, lightsaber ignited. "Let him go."

Vader turned to silently gauge the boy, lightsaber raising. "We meet again."

Ezra, recalling Kanan's lessons, raised his lightsaber vertically in front of his face in a salute. "So it would appear."

Vader, to Ezra's surprise, returned the salute, then attacked, his crimson blade blocked by Ezra's just before his face.

Vader moved his red blade forward, the two beams of light slowly inching towards Ezra's face. "Surrender the boy to me or die, Jedi."

The last time Ezra had fought the Sith Lord, he had been immature and impulsive. Now, with years of experience fighting behind him, Ezra saw the Sith for who he was. Someone Ezra couldn't defeat. Ever fibre in his body screamed at him to move, but Ezra stubbornly stayed between Vader and Skywalker. "I am not afraid of you."

He could sense momentarily surprise from the Sith. "The last time we met, you claimed the same."

Ezra inched backwards, struggling to avoid the blades. "I've grown since then."

"Indeed. You have become a Jedi." Vader surged forward, the blades pressing into Ezra's face, throwing him aside. Mutely listening to his screams of pain. "Now you will die as one."

Before Vader could initiate a killing blow, Sabine fired a rocket from the other side of the hanger, the explosive flying into the ceiling, sending snow and ice down upon the trio. Ezra, nearly mindless with pain, only heard the Force warning him, and used it to slide backwards out of harms way.

Sabine gently touched his shoulder. "Ez?"

Ezra kept his face carefully away from her. "Luke. Find him."

Sabine nodded and ran off, stooping down to retrieve Ezra's lightsaber.

Ezra sat there for a moment, unsure of what to do. All of his energy was being used to mask pain with the Force. If he broke concentration, he would likely go into shock. And then he heard a familiar droid squawking somewhere to his right. "Chopper!" He nearly sagged in relief. "Am I glad to hear you." He extended a hand. "Can you help me to the _Ghost_?"

* * *

Sabine scanned the misty area with her helmet, finding no trace of Luke or Vader. Finally, she grabbed her comm. "Rogue Leader, what's your position?"

His voice came back instantly. " _Out of the Base. In an X-Wing. Flying to Dagobah like I was instructed."_ He was silent for a moment. " _How's Spectre Six?"_

Sabine blocked Ezra from her mind. There was still an evacuation going on, and she needed to get back to the _Ghost._ "He's alive. Spectre Five out."

Sabine chanced one more look back at Echo Base, their home for the past three years. All the days she and Ezra had spent sparring, training, and otherwise growing closer.

"Sabine!"

Sabine nodded once and walked up the ramp of the _Ghost_ , leaving the wreckage of the Base behind.

* * *

 **Chapter Notes!**

 **I). How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World just came out (where I live) so I am likely going to focus on that. I say that because updates to For You Alone might become...sporadic. Sorry in advance.**

 **II). The bit about Jacen interpreting the falling snow as rainbows and Ezra's injuries are an accidental reference to springfieldbluebird's story, Not To Yield. Which I highly recommend reading.**

 **III). Sorry, I couldn't resist. I've been teasing some tramatic injury for Ezra for the past ten chapters, I had to deliver. Which will lead to some...interesting moments. It's a fun arc I've been working on for quite some time.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	14. Must Come To An End

**Thanks to HaywireEagle, Guest, Eznf98, V, and Guest for the Feedback!**

 **Haywire: Vader does like to toy with his food-I mean prey-but his goal was to get to his son. Ezra was just a nuisance that needed to be dealt with.**

 **That is also why the fight was so short, as almost all of you commented about. Vader didn't have time to engage with Ezra, so he just got him out of the way.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Sabine sprinted into the cockpit, where Hera was jumping to light speed on the far side of the planet. "How's Ezra?"

Hera sighed. "Unconscious. He took two lightsabers to the face."

Sabine's eyes hardened. "Where is he?"

"Medical Bay. On board one of the larger transports." Hera tensed as Sabine started shaking with anger and fear. "Listen, Sabine. You know that Jacen can sense our feelings. Control your anger."

Sabine nodded jerkily and nearly slammed her fist into a console, but stopped at the last moment and sat down. When she spoke, her voice was dark. "How long until I can see him?"

Hera was silent for a moment. "I don't know. We didn't have time to coordinate our jump. They'll comm us when they're safe."

"So, in other words," Sabine spat. "We have no idea. Meanwhile, Ezra's in pain and probably confused."

Hera stood. "I don't like it any more than you do. But the truth is, we don't have the supplies necessary to deal with his wounds."

Sabine whirled on her. "We dealt with Kanan!"

Hera was using up the last of her patience. Worry for Ezra, who was as much a son as Jacen, had shortened her temper. "Ezra's wounds are far more severe than Kanan's were. Kanan came back several _days_ after Malachor. It's barely been an hour. I'm worried about him too, Sabine. But getting angry isn't going to change anything."

Sabine deflated. "I know. But, if he does end up like Kanan, I-"

Hera patted her arm. "I know. I went through the same things after Malachor. The knowledge that Kanan would never be able to see me again. That any change I made to myself, he would be unable to know. But we can't dwell on what-ifs. Ezra might not be blinded. Only time will tell."

* * *

Pain.

That was all he could feel.

Unending pain. Pain that was used to bolster his connection to the Dark Side.

Darth Vader swept into the Command Centre, mind preoccupied. The appearance of Padawan Ezra Bridger was a surprise, more so that he was prepared to mirror his Master's sacrifice to save a life.

It was something The Jedi would have done, long ago.

Vader shook the reminder of him away, focusing on the empty Command Centre. "Track the ship the Senator left on."

Veers nodded. "It's a YT-1300 Light Freighter."

Vader tilted his head, intrigued. "The same freighter that escaped the Death Star with the Princess?"

Veers checked his records. "Yes. Quite the coincidence."

Vader shook his head. "The Force is at work." Abruptly turning on his heel, the Sith headed back to his shuttle. "Have the 501'st lock down this Base and sweep for stragglers." Not listening for affirmation, Vader found his mind was preoccupied once again.

Bridger

Dume

Skywalker

Paths connecting and interweaving. Bridger and Dume had revealed Ahsoka Tano, the Padawan of Anakin Skywalker, as well as the former Sith Maul. Skywalker had revealed Kenobi, The Jedi's former Master.

If Bridger and Skywalker were followed, what other Jedi might be revealed?

The small flicker of The Jedi inside Vader noted that all of the Force-Wielders found in the past few years were all important people to The Jedi. Kenobi, his Master. Tano, his Apprentice.

Maul, the one who killed the man who saved him.

Vader pushed The Jedi back into his cage, focusing on the here and now. The Rebels were scattered yet again, no longer a threat to the Empire. Skywalker was no longer in his grasp.

And Bridger was no longer a threat.

* * *

Pain.

That was all he could feel.

Ezra moaned, attempting to open his eyes and failing. Then it all came back. Defending Skywalker from Vader and paying the price. "Hello?" He attempted to sit up. "He-"

A hand gently pushed him back down. "Easy, Master Jedi. You've been seriously wounded."

Ezra took a moment to register who was speaking. "Senator Mothma?"

"Indeed." A sigh was heard. "You were critically injured. Do you recall?"

Ezra nodded. "Yeah. Where is my family?"

A long pause. "We were separated during the evacuation."

Panic gripped Ezra. "Did they survive?"

Mothma was quick to respond. "Oh, yes. But I regret to inform you that Echo Base has been lost."

Ezra attempted to sit up yet again. "Better the Base than the Rebellion. You need to contact my family."

Another push. "And you need to rest, Master Jedi. You're in no condition to be up."

Through the bandages covering the upper half of his face, Ezra did his best to glare at her. "Either you contact my family, or I will."

Mothma sighed. "In order to communicate with the _Ghost,_ we will have to drop out of hyperspace. We won't be able to determine if we're being followed."

Ezra gave a small smile. "Then let me on the bridge. I can tell you if we've been discovered."

The Senator shook her head. Ezra could feel it. "Commander Bridger, you are critically wounded and have been heavily sedated. It is highly likely that you won't recall this conversation in the future. Even if I were to allow you up to the bridge, it is probable that you will pass out before making it out of this room."

Ezra smirked. "Do you really think that will stop a Jedi?"

Mothma stood. "I cannot stop you, but I implore you to reconsider."

In Ezra's hazy state of mind, he could almost feel Kanan sitting at his bedside. "Ezra, listen and think before you make a decision."

Ezra sighed. "You're right, Senator. I will wait for it to be safe."

He could feel Kanan's pride. "Good job, Kid."

* * *

" _Resolution to Ghost, do you copy?"_

Hera jumped to the comm. "Resolution, this is _Ghost_. We read you, over."

 _"_ _General Syndulla, Commander Bridger was conscious a few hours ago, and requested to be transferred to the_ Ghost."

Hera frowned. "Is that wise?"

 _"_ _Medics say that his injuries are not life-threatening. However, treatment cannot be pursued for a number of weeks, until his swelling goes down."_

Hera nodded. "So, what you're saying is, he can return home?"

There was a lengthy pause. _"Yes. We'll synch up on Lothal."_

Hera started to prep for light speed. "Copy that."

* * *

Hera stared hesitantly at the figure before her. "Ezra?"

The teen nodded. "Hera."

Hera looked at the medic guiding Ezra. "What's his status?"

The medic sighed. "He took two lightsaber blades to the upper portion of his face. His face is heavily swelled and can't be treated on until it goes down."

Hera looked at the white bandages covering the upper half of the teen's face. "So he's blind?"

"We don't know and won't know until the swelling reduces. But, for the moment, yes."

Ezra nodded and took a step forward. "I'll be fine."

Sabine, despite Hera's orders to stay inside as to not overwhelm Ezra, took his arm. "Ezra, don't."

Ezra, heeding no attention, kept walking down the hallway, hand lightly trailing the wall. "I have to get to work."

"How?" Sabine glared at him. "You can't see."

Ezra shook his head. "Kanan was blind too."

Hera thanked the medic and sighed. "Kanan trained a long time to get to where he was. And I don't think he ever shared with you how he did it."

Ezra turned a corner when the wall stopped and walked into a closed door. Sabine huffed. "Ready to listen?"

Ezra let out an annoyed sigh. "I have to pull my weight. Earn my keep."

Hera opened the door and Sabine led Ezra inside. "You have plenty of credit with me. We're family."

Sabine led Ezra to the booth and helped him sit down. "Do you want help removing the bandages?"

Ezra shook his head. "No. I'll do it myself later." He sighed tiredly and leaned back. "Where are we?"

Hera frowned. "They didn't tell you?"

"No."

Hera sat down too. "We're orbiting Lothal. It's the safest place right now."

Ezra looked thoughtful. "With the Death Star destroyed, and the lack of Imperial presence, it likely is." He stood. "I think I'll head to my room."

Sabine stood as well. "Do you need help?"

Ezra shook his head, touching the wall lightly. "No. I should be fine."

Once he was gone, Sabine looked at Hera. "That was weird."

Hera smiled sadly. "Not really. Kanan was the same way. Insisted I was out of the room when the medics originally looked at his wound. It was part of the reason he wore the mask."

"He didn't want you to see his scars."

Hera nodded. "Ezra's going to change his bandages, just not with your help. He'll likely start wearing Kanan's mask too. He'll do whatever it takes to make sure you don't see what Vader did."

Sabine slumped back down and laid her head in her arms. "Great. It's all falling apart. Three years of building a base, gone. Months of Ezra training Skywalker, and the kid runs even after Ezra sacrifices himself for him. Rebellion scattered, Ezra blind."

Hera gave a soft smile. "Maybe, but do you remember how Ezra convinced you Hoth was the place for the base?"

Sabine thought back. "A blank canvas. He said that no matter how bleak things look, we can always have a fresh start."

Hera nodded. "This is a new day. A new beginning. We have to make the most of it."

* * *

Ezra could feel Zeb's presence on his bed. "I need your help."

The Lasat lumbered to his feet. "Need your bandages changed, kit? I'm sure Sabine would-"

"No." Ezra shook his head. "I don't want her to see me like this. I can't."

Zeb sighed. "Fine."

The wrappings fell away, and Zeb whistled. "Quite a collection of scars you have, Kid."

Ezra grimaced. "That bad?"

"Eh, no, not really. There's a lot of puffed up skin though."

Ezra nodded. "Swelling. They can't do anything to fix me until that happens."

Zeb swiftly rewrapped the bandages and stepped away. "Anything else, kit?"

Ezra lowered his head. "Could you get Kanan's mask from his room?"

The Lasat left, returning with a familiar weight. "Here."

Ezra put it on, feeling slightly more comfortable. "Thanks." He stood with Zeb's help. "Let's go see the others."

* * *

" _General Syndulla, in order to safely protect Ezra and Jacen, I would strongly advise you to stay on Lothal until things get better."_

Hera sighed. "Is this an order, Senator?"

" _If you decide leaving the system would be the best option, it may very well turn into one."_

Hera sat down. "Fine. Ezra's probably going to recover faster here anyway."

 _"_ _Indeed. May the Force be with you."_

"Likewise." Hera turned as Sabine entered the cockpit. "We're staying put, for now. Until Ezra's recovered."

Sabine nodded. "He's started to wear Kanan's mask. You were right."

Hera rested her head in her hands. "Any information about the others?"

Sabine sat down. "Luke said he was headed to Dagobah. For some reason. Something Ezra said in the beginning. That if he was going to reject Ezra's help, he could roam the swaps of Dagobah. Apparently he's doing that."

Hera sighed and stood. "I need to check up on Jacen." She briefly rested her hand on Sabine's shoulder. "Give him time. Eventually he'll talk to you."

Sabine nodded and only allowed her fears to surface once Hera was gone. Ezra was blind. He would never know if Sabine changed her hair colour, or if she painted a new painting. Sure, he could likely _feel_ her painting, but he would never again be looking at it and muttering compliments he thought were too low for her to hear.

Worse, she had almost lost him. They had almost run out of time.

Sabine sighed and leaned back. "I can't do what Kanan and Hera did." Talking to no-one felt strange, but it was oddly relieving to get her fears out in the open. "He almost died today. He almost mirrored Kanan's sacrifice, and it's all the worse because I wouldn't be able to tell him how I feel."

She stared at the moons. "It's almost fitting we're back here now. This is his home. It's the place that we sacrificed so much to save."

"Ezra has a strong connection to this place." Hera entered holding Jacen, a sad smile on her face. "Here, you hold him."

Sabine gratefully took the child, smiling at him. "Hey, little man." She bounced the baby on her knee, looking back at Hera. "It's his home."

Hera chuckled. "Maybe, but no matter what happens, we always end up back here on Lothal."

"Like you said, Ezra has a strong connection to this place."

"It's more than that." Hera leaned back as well. "Even before we knew Ezra we were drawn here."

Sabine frowned. "Are you saying we were meant to find Ezra?"

Hera shrugged and gave a smile. "Maybe. Kanan and I had the same discussion the day you all went to get the hyperdrive on Lothal. Of how we keep getting drawn back to Lothal. I mean, look at us. The Empire is completely driven from Lothal, and here we are. The Force is at work in our lives."

Sabine shook her head. "Did the Force really need to blind Ezra so we would wake up?"

* * *

If Ezra concentrated, he could feel the presence of Sabine and Hera in the cockpit, talking about him. Which made him just want to stay in his room. Not face what happened.

With a start, Ezra realised that that must have been how Kanan felt after Malachor. All those weeks of his Master isolating himself from everyone, to the point where Ezra couldn't feel him in the Force. Kanan had never talked about that time, they had just carried on like nothing had happened, the _Ghost_ crew too relieved to have their leader back.

Ezra leaned back, head hitting the wall. What was he to do now? Kanan had never prepared him for _this_. No Jedi teacher could overcome the fact that he was blind, maybe permanently.

All he could do was seal himself off.

* * *

 **Chapter Notes!**

 **I). I get that the decision to blind Ezra isn't going to be a popular one, but it was decided from the beginning. The story was always going to end up here. Whether Ezra stays that way remains to be seen.**

 **II). Senator Mothma is fun to write and I recommend it. Vader didn't come out quite like I intended with his speech, but writing his mind was highly enjoyable.**

 **III). I've been dropping hints for the past long time. Since chapter four I think. About Ezra and Sabine and trama. About how it would take something devastating to get them together. Well, can you guys guess what the next chapter is?**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	15. For You Alone

**Thanks to LethalJustice94, UnionTea and Capty Fanfic for the feedback!**

 **Shorter chapter than usual, but this is something you guys have been badgering me for this since chapter one.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _You are weak._

Ezra rolled in his sleep. "No."

 _You can't save them._

"Stop it."

A horrifying chuckle made its presence known, a laugh Ezra knew very well. _You couldn't even protect yourself. What does that say about you or the Jedi?_

"I…made a choice."

 _The Jedi were weak. Now that you are gone, your crew will be ripe for the taking._

"NO!"

* * *

Sabine was nursing a drink when the shout was heard. In a moment, no matter how much annoyance she held towards Ezra, she bolted to his room, drawing her arms around his shaking form. "Ezra." She gently whispered. "Wake up."

A week had passed since Ezra had returned from the _Resolution_. A week since he had sealed himself off in his room. And the crew had let him, Hera surmising that he would come out in his own time. Kanan had eventually.

Watching Ezra convulse, Sabine was hating herself for agreeing with Hera. Zeb had told them Ezra's sleep cycles were different, but Hera seemed convinced it was a side-effect of the blindness. That he would come out of it in time.

Sabine shook her head. She should have done more. Ezra needed her, more now than ever. And she had done nothing. Instead of _being_ there for him, she had been content to wait.

Her presence seemed to have a calming effect on Ezra, as he slowly drifted back into sleep. After a few moments debate, Sabine laid down beside him. She had denied him her help for far too long. Not again.

* * *

Hera softly closed the door with a sad smile. She had awoken to Ezra's yells, and like Sabine, had rushed to his room, only to find Sabine slip in. After a few minutes, she peeked in, smiling at the sight of Sabine lying beside Ezra. It had been a point of debate between Kanan and herself as to when the kids would fall for each other. Hera had thought it would be soon, Kanan not so much.

His argument was introspective. "Look at us." He had intoned. "Took Malachor for this to happen. The kids are going to be the same way, I think. It's going to take something devastating to push them into the other's arms."

As much as Hera had hoped and prayed he was wrong, it seemed her Jedi was on the mark yet again. Once in the beginning, in a teasing tone of voice, he had told her that, 'you'll love me when I'm gone'.

Hera swallowed the lump in her throat and returned to her room, sitting down next to Jacen's bed. She could almost feel his hand around her shoulder, could almost feel his presence like before.

It reignited her anger for the Empire.

For what the Empire had taken away from them. It had torn them all apart and made them become a family. While Hera wouldn't change that for the galaxy, Ezra's parents were gone. Sabine had been cast from her home, while Zeb's entire species was almost completely gone.

The Empire had killed her Knight, had blinded Ezra, her son. Had caused Kanan to lose his way for years.

The Empire took and took, not caring for what they left behind. _That_ was why they fought. To stop the evil that had tried to black out the stars. To avenge what had been taken.

Ezra was just one more name on that list.

* * *

For once, the nightmares were gone.

Ezra had the faintest memory of Maul mocking him, but they had faded just as soon as they had appeared. And when his senses came into focus, he knew why.

There was a _Sabine_ shaped lump next to him, arms suspiciously intwined with his. How she had fallen asleep in such an embrace, Ezra could only imagine, but the fact she was here raised some questions.

He had cut himself away from the crew, choosing to only indulge in the Force. He had begun pushing the crew, his _family_ , away, yet here Sabine was. Sleeping with him, chasing away his nightmares.

Why the Force hadn't he thought of that earlier?

He could hear Sabine waking up, that soft breathing slowly becoming sharper. Then a hand tentatively touched his cheek. "Hey."

Ezra could _hear_ her smile. "Hey." He cleared his throat. "What-what are you doing here?"

Her smile grew. "Apparently saving you from yourself."

Ezra couldn't help but smile back. "So it would seem." He sat up, careful not to dislodge her. "Thank you."

Sabine sat beside him, hand lightly touching his forearm. "Why did you shut us out?"

Ezra sighed. "I couldn't face you. Not like this." Somewhere, Ezra registered he specified Sabine alone. "I couldn't."

Sabine gave a small sigh. "You know we're all here for you, right?" He nodded. "Then let us help. Let _me_ help."

Ezra leaned forward, head in his hands. "I get my bandages off in a week, so long as I keep the mask on. And then two more weeks until we can determine if I can see."

Sabine was silent for a moment. "And after that?"

Ezra sighed. "I don't know. I can't be Kanan. I don't want to push you guys away."

"You didn't." Sabine laid a hand on his shoulder. "We all are just worried about you. We want to help you, if you'll let us. Remember our talk after Alderaan? You told me you couldn't do this alone anymore. So _don't_! Let me help you."

Ezra gave her a small smile. "How?"

Sabine leaned forward, breath touching Ezra's forearm. "Well, we know that me sleeping in the same room as you helps with your nightmares. So,-"

Ezra stood. "No, no, no, no."

Sabine stood as well. "And why not? If it helps you, why stop it?" She took a step forward as Ezra started to pace. "You told me you can't be Kanan. So don't be."

Ezra stopped pacing, half-turning to face her the best he could. "What do you mean?"

 _Now or never, Wren._ "Hera and Kanan always thought there would be more time. But there wasn't. They ran out of time. I can't do that. Not after Hoth."

Ezra frowned. "Sabine, what are you saying?"

Sabine took a breath. "I can't lose you. I can't. Because, if I do, I'll turn into Hera. Thinking about the what-ifs."

Understanding slowly dawned on Ezra. "You aren't going to lose me."

Sabine whirled. "Do you know that? You can't promise me that we'll both outlive this Empire, can you? I can't. I can't even begin to list the times either one of us has died, and that was just on Lothal! We're fighting a bigger fight now, Ezra, and you almost _died_ on Hoth. I almost lost you." She struggled to compose herself. "I _can't_."

Ezra pulled her into a hug. "You won't. There is no death, there is the Force."

Sabine pulled away. "I'm not a Jedi. You're able to see Kanan; I can't."

Ezra stepped towards her. "Hera said she can feel Kanan. Ahsoka said that Kanan's consciousness could have retained itself. You will never be alone, Sabine. I'm here."

"But for how long?" Sabine shook her head. "How long until you die in battle, and I'll be stuck with what-if's for forever? I don't want that life."

Ezra leaned forward. "You don't have to have that life. I'm here, right now. Blinded and broken, maybe, but I am here."

Sabine surprised him by surging forward, lips crashing down onto his with force. Ezra returned the kiss, drawing Sabine into his arms. When they broke apart, gasping for breath, Ezra gave a small smile. "I'm here. Whatever that means, whatever _you_ want it to mean, I am with you."

Before Sabine could answer, a knock was quietly heard at the door. "Zeb and I are headed out for supplies, and Chop is recharging. Sabine, watch Ezra. Make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."

Ezra could _feel_ Sabine's grin. "Can't promise that, Hera, but I'll watch him."

"Good. One more thing." Hera paused, and Ezra took a step back. He knew that tone of voice. "No Jacens, you two."

Sabine took a step forward. "Hera!"

Laughter was their only response, and Ezra chuckled a little. "Let her have her fun. She needs it."

Sabine shook her head. "At our expense?"

Ezra smirked. "Do you _not_ remember all those times you and I made fun of Kanan and Hera?"

Sabine hummed, acknowledging the point. "I guess." She grabbed his hand. "Come on."

Ezra slowed her down and grabbed his mask, then used his free hand to trace the hallway in front of him. "Where are we going?"

Sabine didn't slow. "Training. You need to learn to fight like this."

Ezra sighed. There was no Bendu this time. No teacher to help him see with the Force. Kanan had come back that first time being able to see to a certain degree, and training had honed that ability until Kanan could 'see' better than most sighted people.

But Ezra didn't know how to begin that process. There was no guide to set him down that path. He was alone.

Sabine squeezed his hand, and Ezra smiled. He wasn't alone. Not anymore. Sabine was with him, and he had his family behind him.

A hand briefly touched his shoulder, and Ezra's smile grew. While his Master was gone, Kanan would be with him always.

 **Chapter Notes!**

 **I). The Hera bit was interesting to write, because we rarely saw Hera actually mad. Sure, there was annoyance, especially in the early seasons, but rage and anger were absent from her character. So, that was her segment.**

 **II). Writing Ezra blind, being forced to describe verbs like nodded and such is quite a challenge. Also, quite fun.**

 **III). There! You guys happy? Ezra and Sabine _finally_ talked! Sort of. This was never going to be a 'one conversation and they're madly in love' deal. That wouldn't be true to life or their characters. They took a _step_ forward. An important, crucial step, but a step nonetheless. **

**As a parting note, at the moment of this chapter, we have more chapters behind us than ahead of us. Which may very well change.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	16. Together as One

**Thanks to LethalJustice94, V and Guest for the feedback!**

 **V: Originally, that was the plan. But I couldn't think of a way to have that happen _and_ have Ezra say 'For You Alone' as a standalone sentence. **

**I may have miscalculated when I used the title of the story as the chapter title. Traditionally, as readers who've read my other stuff know, I save the story title for the final chapter. But, that was literally the most important chapter.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Ezra leaned forward in focus, every sense he still possessed seeking out Sabine. It had been like this for much of the past two weeks, constant training. The first few days were rough, Ezra losing bouts far more than he won. Then, he had begun to learn what the Bendu had taught Kanan. To see, he had to look within.

And Ezra had been disgusted by what was inside. The fear and anger he felt were prohibiting him from seeing. So he took a day to purge himself, and things began to get clearer.

After that, he had begun winning against Sabine, honing his Form II skill while he was at it. More and more of his combat seemed to be about outlasting his opponent, and Ezra sometimes wondered if Kanan wasn't still teaching him from beyond the grave.

Sabine attacked, Ezra rolling underneath her swipe and striking her back. Growling, she counter-attacked, jabbing at his left side, but Ezra was ready, grabbing her wrist. "You know that's not going to work."

Sabine nodded. "I do." She managed to kick Ezra's legs out from under him, sending him to the ground. Then she pointed Kanan's saber at him. "Yield."

Ezra grinned and held up his hands, then accepted as Sabine pulled him to his feet. "Didn't realise we were mixing physical combat into this."

Sabine chuckled, still holding on to Ezra's hand. "When is it ever _not_ physical combat?"

Ezra shook his head. "You've been keeping it strictly bladed combat for the past two weeks."

"And look how far you've come." There was a definite note of pride in Sabine's voice as she helped him into the _Ghost_. "The blindness might have even made you a better swordsman."

Ezra squeezed her hand. "I think that may be down to you." He could feel Sabine's smile. "Thank you."

The past two weeks hadn't been filled with just sparring practice. Ezra and Sabine took some time to figure who they were together, and the bond they shared had never been stronger.

Sabine had started to ruthlessly train Ezra to see without the Force, forcing him to rely on his remaining senses to manoeuvre around the _Ghost_. Ezra had learned quick, understanding that, were he ever cut off from the Force, he would be helpless.

There were also some dark days where Ezra mourned what had been taken from him, and Sabine was able to comfort him. And on those days, Ezra truly thanked the Force for her.

* * *

Hera watched the two with a smile on her face. A smile tinged with sadness, with longing, but a smile nonetheless. The kids's relationship reminded her achingly of how she and Kanan were. There were never any overt signs of affection, and Sabine could make a very strong argument that she held Ezra's hand to guide him, if she wanted.

Hera rarely saw them kissing, or hugging, there was just a few more compliments from Ezra, or Sabine would stare at Ezra a few moments longer than before during briefings. Which, judging by the smile Ezra would get, he could feel.

Ezra still had difficulty, even with Sabine helping him. There was one time, Hera was awoken by a strange sound outside of the _Ghost,_ and was surprised to see Ezra and Sabine there, very close together.

At first, Hera thought they might be kissing, or perhaps something more, but a closer inspection saw Ezra's head buried in Sabine's shoulder, holding her like his life depended on it. And she would hold him just as fiercely, whispering assurances to him. Hera quietly slipped away, feeling as though she witnessed something far more intimate than them making love.

What saddened Hera the most was how…experienced Sabine was during that episode. She had known what to do, which meant that wasn't the first time it had happened.

Sabine slept most nights in Ezra's room, as it seemed her presence calmed his nightmares. Hera had poked her head in a few times a night in the beginning to ensure there was no funny business, but there was never anything like that going on. Some nights, Sabine wasn't even in the bed.

One of Sabine's whispered assurances to Ezra had stuck in Hera's memory, and it was a line she wished she had thought of when Kanan was dealing with the same thing.

 _Just because you can't see doesn't mean you're helpless._

There were also good days. Ezra and Sabine were inseparable now, as if they hadn't been before.

Ezra had returned her 'no Jacens' comment with a witty remark about how he could follow his Master's example, which Hera had forbid. Judging by Sabine's laughter, and the smallest of smirks on the Jedi's face, it was a remark he wasn't at all serious about.

All the same, Hera's heart was happy for the two, but she still longed to have that with Kanan. Had he survived that night, who knows how their life might have been different.

Almost instantly, she felt a hand on her shoulder, and smiled. Kanan was still with her. He had once promised to never leave her alone, and apparently this was how he kept it.

 _"_ _General Syndulla, I have Senator Mothma."_

Hera sighed and grabbed her comm. "Put her through."

There was a rustling sound, and the Senator could be heard a moment later. _"General Syndulla?"_

Hera was silent a moment before answering. "Senator Mothma. What can I do for you?"

 _"_ _We have new information that the Empire is coming for you. More specifically, Commander Bridger."_

Hera frowned. "How do they know where we are?"

The Senator sighed. _"They don't. But two things on their agenda is to reclaim Lothal and to kill the Commander. If Ezra remains on Lothal, he will die."_

Hera balled her hands into fists. "There's nowhere else to go! Lothal is the last place we can go to!"

 _"_ _I don't know what to tell you. If you prefer to stay, I can send reinforcements to your location. But leaving is the preferable option."_

Hera was silent for a long time. "I have people who gave their life to save Lothal. I won't stand by and watch the Empire return!"

 _"_ _General Syndulla, I am aware of Kanan Jarrus's sacrifices, but-"_

Hera cut her off. "I don't think you are! He died so that we might live and so Lothal might be free. And I am prepared to sacrifice one to attain the other. How soon will the Empire be here?"

Senator Mothma sighed. _"You have one week. May the Force be with you."_

The comm disconnected, and Hera turned to Chopper. "Contact Ryder and inform him of what's happening."

Ezra stepped forward. "If the Imperials are coming back, they'll arrive in Capital City. I can stop this."

Sabine shook her head. "Ezra, no…"

Hera was intrigued. "How?"

Ezra gave a small smile. "By finding the moment where I'm needed the most. What Kanan taught me. One final lesson."

Sabine took a step forward. "You promised me that I wasn't going to lose you."

Ezra turned to her. "I also said I can't guarantee that we'll survive this war. This is my moment. And if I am called to repeat Kanan's sacrifice, so be it."

The dejarik board's hologram flickered to life, and a familiar face appeared. _"Commander Bridger."_

Ezra started in shock. "Thrawn." He turned to the board. "So, you've returned."

Thrawn offered a small smile. _"I am on your side now, Commander. And have no desire to see Lothal subjected yet again to the Empire."_

Sabine scowled. "You just switched sides? And you expect us to believe that?"

 _"_ _Believe it or not, it is the absolute truth. When I went missing, I was written off as an acceptable loss."_ Thrawn shook his head. _"I value loyalty, Commander Bridger, and the Empire lacks it. However, during my time on Lothal, I observed how your unit operated. How Kanan Jarrus sacrificed his life to save his family. You have the loyalty the Empire lacks. So I offer my service to you."_

Ezra narrowed his eyes. His prejudice against Thrawn was deeply rooted in the destruction of Atollon and the death of his Master. But the Force was lending its approval. "What can you offer us?"

Thrawn smiled. _"The Empire is returning to Lothal. I can divert their attention and offer them a bigger target: me."_

Hera frowned. "Why would you paint yourself as a target against the Empire?"

Thrawn regarded her. _"Years ago, I was sent to infiltrate the Empire to determine whether or not they would become effective allies. The destruction of the Death Star, a project the Empire poured a multitude of resources into, marks the beginning of a new age. The Empire will fall, so allying ourselves with them would be fruitless."_

Ezra slowly nodded. "So, you're willing to ensure the Empire doesn't return to Lothal. If what your offering is true, we can't afford not to trust you."

Thrawn smiled. _"We have an agreement. You will hear from me shortly."_

The hologram dissipated and Ezra could feel the glare of the others. "It would appear that our problem has been solved."

Sabine shook her head. "Ezra, we can't trust him. It's _Thrawn_!"

Ezra turned to face her. "We have to. The Force is agreeing. This is the right path."

Hera sat down. "We'll still have Ryder monitor what's happening in orbit, just until we're sure what game our new _friend_ is playing."

Sabine wasn't convinced. "Ezra, we're literally entrusting him with our lives!"

Ezra nodded, a small smile on his face. "The exact same thing would have happened if I had gone to Thrawn during to Occupation. If Lothal is to be free of the Empire, this is our best play."

Hera sighed. "Fine. I'm trusting you, Ezra."

Ezra smiled. "Thank you." He turned for his room, hand trailing the wall. "Keep me posted."

Sabine nodded. "I will." Once he was gone, she turned to Hera. "What do you think?"

Hera looked away. "When Ezra and Kanan felt led by the Force to do something, it always ended up being the right call. No matter how foolish it seemed at the time. We have to trust Ezra here."

* * *

Ezra slumped onto his bunk after removing his mask, sighing heavily. He could hear Zeb moving above him, and a moment later the Lasat jumped down. "Tough day?"

Ezra nodded. "Yeah. Thrawn's back. And he's claiming to be on our side."

Zeb was silent for a moment. "You believe 'im?"

Ezra nodded. "The Force is telling me to accept his offer of help. Against the advice of both Hera and Sabine."

Zeb sat across from him. "Well, then it's settled. Trust the Force."

Ezra lifted his face. "I wish I had your confidence."

Zeb sighed. "Kid, Kanan always told you to trust the Force. You have to do that now."

Ezra nodded. "I know. But it's hard to see past everything that happened during the Occupation. I know we have to move on, and that trusting Thrawn to keep his word is the first step to doing that." He sighed and lowered his head. "I just wish that I knew if this was the right path."

Zeb didn't answer, and Ezra lifted his head to find that the Force Signatures around him had changed. Whereas before it had been just Zeb, Hera and Sabine, now there was one. A very familiar presence.

Ezra stood. "Kanan?"

The Presence moved, and Ezra followed, hand trailing as he navigated the halls of the _Ghost_. "Master?"

Eventually, they ended up outside, and Ezra shook his head. "Why have you brought me here?"

 _Remove your mask, Ezra._

That was Kanan's voice. Ezra obeyed instantly, removing the mask for the first time since the medics examined him. But he kept his eyes closed.

Kanan sighed. _Open your eyes._

Ezra did so, and gasped as he saw. Kanan was standing in front of him, eyes clear. "Padawan."

Ezra ran to him, engulfing his Master in a hug. "Kanan!"

Kanan returned the embrace then stepped back. "It's good to see you."

Ezra nodded. "You-you too." He looked around, but everywhere else was black. Only Kanan was visible. "How are you here?"

Kanan gave a small smile. "I am here because you are here."

Ezra frowned. "I don't understand. Where are we?"

Kanan's smile turned sad. "We're outside the _Ghost_."

Ezra shook his head. "So I'm blind?"

"You tell me." Kanan knelt down in a meditative pose, and Ezra followed. "This planet is a conduit for the Light Side. The Wolves, the Loth-cats, every creature here is a part of the Force. It's how you are able to see me."

Ezra narrowed his eyes. "But we've been here for three weeks. Why now?"

Kanan looked at his Padawan. "You have to be open. I've tried before, but you've been blocked. Something's changed. Your balance, perhaps?"

Ezra thought for a moment. "Sabine's been helping me. I'm beginning to learn how to see again."

Kanan smiled. "Good. You will need that for what is to come."

Ezra frowned. "What do you mean 'what is to come'?"

Kanan stood. "You have a choice in front of you, Padawan. There are now two Jedi alive. The Empire's attention will be divided." He clasped his hands behind his back. "What are you going to do?"

Ezra stood as well. "We're going to fight."

Kanan sighed and was silent for a long moment. "Very well." He looked at Ezra and drew him into an embrace. "But you cannot fight from here."

Ezra hugged his Master back. "What would you have us do?"

Kanan chuckled. "Me? Kid, I'm no longer your leader. Seek the Force. To do that, you have to forgive yourself for what happened."

Ezra stepped away. "What do you mean?"

Kanan looked down. "At the Temple. You chose to walk away from that portal. It was the right call; yet still you blame yourself."

Ezra looked down as well. "I could have saved you. But doing so would have killed us too."

"You need to let go. Of the guilt. No one blames you, Ezra. I never did."

When Ezra looked back up, Kanan was gone, and the world was as black as before. With a shuddering breath, Ezra picked the mask up and put it on, and felt his way to the _Ghost_. "I need to let go."

* * *

Sabine stared at Ezra's door. "I'm worried about him, Hera. He's been in there too long."

Hera lightly chuckled. "He's a Jedi. Sometimes their meditation can take a while. And Ezra looked like he had a lot to deal with."

Sabine sighed. "I just wish that this was something I could help him with."

As if on cue, Ezra exited his room, headed straight for Sabine and Hera. "I know what we have to do now."

Hera nodded. "What?"

Ezra smiled. "We need to go to Bespin."

Sabine frowned. "The…mining world? Why?"

Ezra sat down in the co-pilot's seat and shrugged. "I don't know. But I'm sure."

Hera nodded and started typing in coordinates. "We'll drop Jacen off at Ryloth and have your face checked out, then we'll head to Bespin."

* * *

 **Chapter Notes!**

 **I). It's important to note that Ezra and Sabine aren't 'an item' per se. They're still finding their balance. Most of that is due to Ezra. His inner struggle is the theme of this arc, something we'll touch on next chapter.**

 **II). I'm toying with the idea of having Thrawn return as a main character. Not sure yet, let me know what you guys think.**

 **III). I'm particularily happy with the Kanan bit. I wanted him to show up when Ezra was at his lowest, I just wasn't sure how. I think this works though.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	17. Seeing Clearly

**Thanks to LethalJustice94, RoterKrache1Akula,V(Guest), Guest(V), Kiseki Fan, TheLoneRebels2.0 and Logan Bovard for the feedback!**

 **This is the longest chapter of the story actual story wise, not counting the comments and thank-you's. So, love me for that!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Hera froze as they emerged onto Bespin and saw who was waiting for them. "Lando? Lando Calrissian?"

The former smuggler grinned. "Captain Syndulla and her crew! Always a pleasure." He bowed graciously and smiled. "What brings you to Bespin?"

Ezra was quiet for a moment. The Force had led him to Bespin, where Lando Calrissian apparently lived? That was more than a coincidence. He searched the Force for any sign of danger, but there was nothing. No warnings, no acceptance, nothing.

A touch from Sabine drew him out of his introspection, and Ezra turned his head towards Calrissian for the first time. "Lando." He greeted.

Lando nodded. "Master Jedi." He tactically avoided mentioning the mask over the top of Ezra's face. What such a mask meant was obvious, and while Lando was sympathetic, he had also once met a blind man on Jedha who moved like he could see.

The bigger concern for the administrator was the issue of a Jedi being on Bespin. Cloud City had a tentative alliance with the Empire, and if word spread, his people would be in danger. He would be effectively signing their death warrants.

Lando turned and gestured for Lobot to contact the Empire. Perhaps honesty would be best here. "Follow me, Captain. I have a room you and your crew can get situated in." He looked back at the Jedi, who was 'looking' at Wren. "Will you be staying long?"

Ezra could feel the eyes on him and shrugged. "I don't know."

Lando nodded and keyed the code to enter the facility. "I'll schedule you guys for a while then, just in case."

Hera smiled. "Thank you, Lando. I apologise for being a burden."

Lando grinned. "It's no trouble." Frowning, he gazed intently upon the crew for the first time. The Lasat was in the back, ever sweeping the room for any sign of trouble. The C1 astromech was behind Hera and next to Bridger, who in turn was beside Wren. All the crew members were there except-

Lando stopped and stared at Hera. "May I ask where Kanan Jarrus is?" His eyes widened slightly as he saw Hera's face turn from a facade of calm to one of barely contained sorrow. The others had similar expressions on, minus Bridger, who seemed at peace. Which only meant one thing. "I'm so sorry."

Hera nodded briskly and surged forward, headed towards the room Lando had given them. One by one, the crew followed her, except for Bridger, who seemed to be studying the former smuggler.

Lando stared at the Jedi. "Jarrus was your Master, wasn't he?"

Ezra nodded. "I'd be wary of what you said about him around the crew. They haven't moved on yet."

Lando sighed. "I noticed. You all are welcome here as long as you wish."

Ezra stuck out a hand, which the administrator accepted. "Thank you."

* * *

Sabine was pacing the room when Ezra returned, and he could feel the relief coming from her. Ever since Hoth, she had been very hesitant to let him out of her sight, terrified that she was going to lose him again. Ezra tried his best to keep those moments few and far between for her sake, and similarly felt the same about her. Sabine possessed just enough skill with a lightsaber that any Inquisitor wouldn't be going for capture missions. As good as she was, Sabine was still no match for a dark-sider.

Ezra smiled at her and removed his mask, smile faltering at the tired look on her face. "You look exhausted."

Sabine sighed. "It's just been a long day." She sat on one of the two beds in the room, looking around. Hera was looking out the window at the far side of the room, and Zeb was sitting at a table. Chopper seemed to have found a charging port, so it was just Ezra and Sabine in the sleeping quarters. She patted next to her and he hesitantly sat down, watching her face for any sign of disgust.

It had been a week since the medics had examined Ezra's face, and the result had been both good and bad. Ezra could see clearly out of his left eye, scars from the blades marking the area just above and below the eye. The other eye had taken the brunt of the damage, the heat from the blades soldering the skin of his eyelid together so that he couldn't even open his right eye. Not that it mattered. The medics had told them that the pupil was almost completely destroyed in that eye.

Ezra had examined his scars directly after the report, opting to continue to wear Kanan's mask. His scars were so much worse than Kanan's, and far more pronounced. People would shudder with sympathy no matter what, he'd rather them not be disgusted by his face as well.

The Jedi had been even more hesitant with his own family, not removing his mask in front of anyone for the first couple of days after. It had taken Sabine going into his room and gently coaxing Ezra to remove the mask for her for that wall to be torn down. Now Ezra rarely wore the mask in the _Ghost_ , and the crew had gotten used to the scars.

Sabine laced her fingers with Ezra's. "You looking different isn't going to change how I feel." She gently whispered. "You know that."

Ezra nodded and closed his eye, sighing. "I've accepted what happened, and I'm grateful that I still get to see." He looked at Sabine and smirked. "And I'm grateful that you haven't changed your hair colour during the time I couldn't."

Sabine smiled. "That was one of my fears." She admitted. "That I would change my hair or armour, or paint something, and you would never know." She looked down. "That I wouldn't be able to share those first moments of revelation with you."

Ezra lifted her chin and kissed her softly. "We can't dwell in the past." He whispered. "That was all Kanan and I did after Malachor, and it nearly destroyed us. Months of Kanan staying isolated in his room, dealing with everything by himself. I won't do that to myself. Not anymore."

Sabine smiled at him and pressed her forehead to his. "I'm so proud of you." She whispered back.

* * *

Lando hesitantly accepted the transmission. "Lord Vader?"

The Sith remained impassive. _"The Jedi you reported, where is he?"_

Lando swallowed. "Room 211, upper floor. He's in there with his family."

Vader nodded. " _I will send you one of my agents to deal with the problem. The Jedi will no longer be a problem, I assure you."_

Lando narrowed his eyes slightly. "And what of the damages that occur during the battle?"

 _"_ _The Empire will reimburse you for any damages."_

With that, the transmission cut off, and Lando slumped down slightly. The entire situation was reminding him of his first encounter with Han, and what the smuggler had told him about the encounter after Lando had left.

Lando shook his head and started to walk away, shoving Han and Qi'ra out of his mind. And the reminder of how he had betrayed Han into Fett's hands a few days prior.

* * *

Ezra burst from his bed, gasping. Something was wrong. Calling his lightsaber into his hand, he quickly changed, grabbing his mask as he left the room.

Focusing, Ezra headed for the Command Centre. The Force had warned him of something, but all Ezra could feel now was cold. Which was never a good sign.

Forcing his way into the Centre, Ezra ignited his lightsaber, pointing it at a man with one of the Empire's controllers on the back of his head. "Who is coming here?"

The man, to his credit, didn't so much as flinch. "One of Lord Vader's agents."

Ezra gasped. "You're working with Vader?" Aghast, he grabbed his comlink. "Spectre Five, come in." He whispered as softly as he could.

 _"_ _I read you, Spectre Six."_ From how quick Sabine responded, it was likely Ezra had awoken her when he charged from the room. _"What's going on?"_

Ezra left the Centre. "Lando betrayed us into the hands of the Empire. Awake the crew; we're leaving now."

 _"_ _Copy that."_

Ezra put his comlink away, freezing as the cold feeling enveloped him. "We're too late."

"Indeed." A metallic voice purred, coming from behind him. "There is no escape, Bridger."

Ezra removed his mask and turned, eye roaming over the Inquisitor. She was dressed remarkably like the Seventh Sister, just without the probes. "I've been in this position before. It ends the same; you lose."

A cold laugh came from the helmet, and the woman ignited a lightsaber. "I don't think so. My partner is dealing with your friends now."

A wave of panic washed over Ezra at the thought. The Seventh Sister and Fifth Brother had worked together, why wouldn't others?

As soon as the thought entered, Ezra released it to the Force. Getting flustered would only serve to get him killed.

The Inquisitor noticed. "So, the reports were true. You have become a Jedi."

Ezra activated his lightsaber and saluted her. "I've dealt with Inquisitors before. I don't think this encounter will be any different."

The Inquisitor returned the salute. "You may have dealt with the Grand Inquisitor and my Master, but even if you kill me, your friends will die."

Ezra was about to strike, but a familiar pressure was held on his shoulder. _Ezra, stay patient. Wait for her to attack._

After a few moments, the Inquisitor attacked, and Ezra dodged the attack, assessing his opponents skill. After the Second Brother had failed to capture Ezra, Kallus had informed the Spectres that the Emperor was disbanding the Inquisitorius. So this one couldn't be one of the higher Inquisitors.

Ezra narrowed his eyes. "Your master was the Seventh Sister, wasn't it? That's why you've come for me. Revenge."

The woman laughed. "I was given an offer by Lord Vader. I would be allowed to live if I captured you."

Ezra frowned and blocked an attack. "Why does Vader want me alive?"

He could sense the woman's confusion. "I don't know." She activated a second blade. "But I have my orders."

* * *

Sabine tried the comlink again. "Spectre Five to Spectre Six, _come in!_ " Frustrated, she threw it down. "I can't reach him!"

Hera grabbed her blaster and tossed Sabine Kanan's lightsaber. "Comm's are jammed. Chop, get on it!"

Zeb squeezed his hand into a fist. "Lando betrayed us!"

"Yeah, about that." Lando was at the door, rubbing his head sheepishly. "I tried to protect my people from Vader by making a deal, but the Empire is occupying Cloud City anyway."

Sabine pointed her pistol at him. "How do I rescue Ezra?"

Lando lifted his hands. "You can't. There are two former Inquisitors here, and a garrison of stormtroopers. One blind Jedi can't fight his way through all that."

Zeb scowled. "Why? Why would the Empire send all of that for Ezra?"

Lando sighed and handed Hera a data-pad. "I had one of my men slice into the Empire's database. They have plans for any captured Jedi."

Sabine's trigger finger tightened. "To turn them into Inquisitors, we know that!"

The former smuggler shook his head. "No. To ship them off to worlds where they will be worked to death."

Hera glanced at Zeb. "Like the Wookies at Kessel." She handed the data-pad to Sabine and stared at Lando. "You are going to help us get Ezra back."

Lando stepped back a pace. "There's nothing to do! There is no way we can beat two Inquisitors! None! What we can do is track their ship to get your Jedi back!"

Sabine slowly lowered her pistol. "If you're lying to me, or if we don't recover Ezra, I will kill you myself."

* * *

Ezra flipped over the woman's head, using the Force to grab her lightsaber and scissor the blades at her neck. "Yield."

A lightsaber ignited at the base of his neck. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, Jedi."

Ezra swallowed and glanced out of the corner of his eye. "Your partner wasn't going for my friends. He was coming for me."

"And you've fallen into my trap."

Ezra disengaged his sober and smiled. "Well, guess we have time to chat after all."

The Inquisitor behind him snarled and lowered his lightsaber, and that was Ezra's moment. Using all the power he had, Ezra threw both Inquisitors against the wall, straining to hold them there. "Spectre Five, I need you here now!"

 _"_ _Ezra?"_

Ezra grunted. "Move!"

A few minutes later, Sabine arrived, staring at the two Inquisitors. "What is this?"

Ezra nodded to the wall. "Stun them!"

The woman laughed. "You cannot _possibly_ hope that a stun-"

Sabine stunned both, and Ezra sighed in relief as he dropped them. "Let's go. Before these guys wake up."

* * *

Safely back on the _Ghost_ , typing in hyperspace coordinates, Ezra sighed. "I need to disappear."

All eyes turned to him, and Sabine narrowed hers. "You what?"

Ezra looked at her. "I need to disappear. Kanan and I have faced off against six Inquisitors in the past five years. We put you in danger. And I won't do that anymore."

Hera scowled. As much as she wanted to rebuke him for thinking like that, the idea had merits. The _Ghost_ crew had almost died numerous times due to the Inquisitors. "Kanan and I talked about disappearing after Vader arrived on Lothal. He felt that you and he were putting us, and the Rebellion, in danger. That the danger outweighed your worth."

Ezra nodded. "And he'd be right."

"No." Hera stood. "He wasn't. We're a family. We're strongest together. If you think disappearing is the best idea, then we will _all_ disappear."

Ezra frowned. "You guys are too important to the Rebellion."

"And you're not?" Sabine took his hand. "One of the last Jedi left, and undoubtedly the most well trained? You think you're not important?"

Ezra sighed. "If Kanan had never revealed himself to be a Jedi on Kessel, he would never have been blinded by Maul." He scratched the old scars on his cheek. "The Inquisitor would never have been sent to Lothal, neither would Vader. We wouldn't have sat around doing nothing after Malachor."

"And you would have never become Kanan's Padawan." Hera looked at him. "You wouldn't be the Jedi leader you are now. Sabine would still be estranged from her family, and it's possible that Zeb would have never found out about Lirasan. If Kanan had never been blinded, we might have died on Atollon. That storm was all that saved us. You can't tell me it wasn't worth it."

Ezra closed his eye. "If Kanan hadn't of revealed himself to be a Jedi, he would still be here!"

 _I am still here._

Hera felt a familiar pressure on her shoulder. "He is still here! Maybe not in the way we always hoped and dreamed, but he is still here."

Ezra slumped into his seat. "I can't lose you guys. You're all the family I have." He squeezed Sabine's hand. "And I'm putting you in danger."

"I have a solution." Sabine sat beside Ezra and looked at Hera. "Let Ezra and I take the _Gauntlet_ for a few weeks. We'll leave our comm open so you can contact us if any problems arises. But he needs to clear his head."

Hera mulled the suggestion over and nodded. "Okay." She watched as the two stood, Sabine gently leading Ezra out of the room. "Any ideas where you'll go?"

Sabine smiled. "I have a few ideas."

Hera's smile faltered as the _Gauntlet_ lifted off of their temporary base. Zeb joined her. "What is it?"

Hera looked down. "I don't know. But this feels like the end of something. I just wish I knew what it was."

Zeb smiled. "Whatever it is, we'll face it together. Kid'll get his head on straight, then we'll find out."

Hera sighed. "I just wish Kanan was still here. He'd know what to do."

Zeb laid a hand on her shoulder. "Maybe, maybe not. All we can do is move forward."

* * *

 **Chapter Notes!**

 **I). The latter half of Empire is the more or less the same. The Rebels (OT, not our Rebels) still go to Bespin, and Lando betrays Han into Boba Fett's hands. However, this is the read-in-between-the-lines moment, the Empire _isn't_ on Cloud City. Take from that what you will. I'm tentativly planning an arc around that basis. **

**II). I didn't want to copy Rebels S2 and have Ezra blinded like Kanan, nor did I want to make him whole again. He made a lot of progress in the past few chapters that only happened because he was blind. So, he loses one eye. For the scars, look up Jedi Even Piell. It's similar to that.**

 **III). At this point in the story, there are two routes we can go down. The ending is the same, mainly because I just wrote it and am loving it, but the different routes vastly change how long this story goes on for. I haven't decided yet, but we're either less than ten chapters away from the epilogue, or...more. That being said, this story is all about Ezra fighting the _Empire_ with his family.**

 **On that note, the ending does feature a Spectre Eight... (I'll leave you to speculate)**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	18. With Love Comes Loss

**Thanks to Capty Fanfic, LethalJustice94 and Alton (Guest) for the feedback!**

 **Read every single line in this chapter carefully. CAREFULLY!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Ezra turned to Sabine. "So, where are we going?"

Sabine glanced at him. "Krownest. I was thinking that-"

One of the alert buttons on their console drew their attention, and Ezra rerouted it to his comm. "It's a distress signal."

Sabine frowned. "Where?"

Ezra focused for a long moment. "Drop out of hyperspace now!"

She complied and looked at Ezra. "Where are we?"

Ezra opened his eye. "Garel. That's where the distress signal came from." He pulled out his comlink. "We need to contact Hera."

A few seconds later, the Twi'lek was looking at them. "Contacting us so soon?"

Ezra got right to the point. "I need you to head to Garel now."

"Why?"

Sabine joined the conversation. "We picked up a distress signal. We're moving to investigate, I just think Ezra wants some backup."

He sighed. "I do. We've circled back to Garel far too many times in the past few years for this to be a coincidence."

Hera nodded. "We'll be there soon. Don't go in without us."

The call disconnected, and Sabine guided the Phantom into the atmosphere. "We need to move in now."

Ezra barely heard her; focused as he was on the Force. On what it was telling him. "Okay. Move in, but carefully."

* * *

 _Ezra was awoken by a strange sound. Sneaking out of his room, not that hard since Zeb slept dead to the galaxy most of the time, he followed the noise until it apexed at Hera's room. Then the sound registered. It was crying._

 _It had been a few weeks since Kanan's passing, and Ezra didn't even know how Hera was still functioning. But she had to be for what was coming. If everything went according to plan, this would be the last private conversation Ezra and Hera would have._

 _Slowly, Ezra opened the door and entered. "Hera?"_

 _Hera gasped and turned to face him, hand clutching Kanan's mask. "Ezra! She wiped tears from her eyes. "You should be asleep."_

 _Slowly, Ezra sat in one of the chairs. "Are you okay?"_

 _Hera sighed. "I will be."_

 _Ezra closed his eyes, using the Force to see if she was telling the truth. She was. "Was it worth it?"_

 _Hera sat down on her bunk. They both knew he wasn't talking about Kanan's sacrifice. "It was."_

 _Ezra opened his eyes, frowning. "How? How can you say that loving Kanan was worth it if it causes this much pain?"_

 _Hera gave a small smile. "With Love come loss. It's part of the deal. Sometimes it hurts, but in the end, it's all worth it. There's no greater gift than love."_

* * *

"Sabine." Ezra was quiet. "I don't see any guards. You're all clear."

Sabine smiled under her helmet. "Copy that."

As she moved, her mind reflected to the previous hours. They had landed unceremoniously on Garel, heading out to see if they could find out more about the distress signal. Ezra had sensed pain and suffering coming from one of the housing units, and had promptly decided to move in.

Sabine trained her guns down the hall, eyes narrowed in caution. "Hallway's clear, but something doesn't feel right."

"Be careful. I'm on my way."

"Ah, Sabine." She whirled to find Commander Kei smiling as he held a civilian-presumably the source of the distress signal-in his arms, a blaster pistol pointed at his throat. "How good of you to make it."

Sabine levelled her blasters at him. "Let him go."

Kei nodded to someone behind her, and suddenly her world went black.

* * *

Ezra could sense the minute things went wrong. "Spectre Six to Ghost, we need help now!"

Hera was quick. "What happened, Spectre Six?"

Ezra started to run to the entrance. "Five got grabbed!"

Hera was silent for a minute. Then, "Stay where you are. Don't enter the building."

Ezra scowled. "Two, I can grab her and be out of there before-"

"Or you'll be captured alongside her." Hera sighed. "I don't like this anymore than you do, but any successful operation begins with intelligence. Wait for us to arrive."

Ezra relented. "Fine."

* * *

Ezra stormed aboard the Ghost. "We have to move in, now! She could be hurt!"

Hera sighed. "Fine. Take Zeb and-

Before she could continue, Ezra's comm chimed, and he answered. "Yeah?"

Hera turned to see Ezra glaring at his comm, a scowl on his face. "Who is this?" The voice was garbled to her, as if it was for Ezra's ears only. "When." He listened for a few more seconds. "Fine."

Ezra disconnected and stared at Hera. "We have to go to Lothal, now."

Hera started typing in coordinates, sneaking glances at the Jedi's face. "Why?"

 _There's no greater gift than love._

Ezra's face was grim. "It ends where it began."

Hera scowled. "You're acting a lot like Kanan did. What's going on?"

Ezra didn't answer her, just stared at the swirling colours of hyperspace. Eventually, he spoke. "You can drop me off near where the Dome was. There are some things I need to do."

A few hours later, they landed at the meeting point, and Zeb exited with Ezra, having guessed what his plan was. "You sure you want to do this?"

Ezra stared into the concerned face of the Lasat and nodded. "Yeah." He handed him his lightsaber and blaster. "As soon as Sabine makes it over here, you take off. Don't worry about me."

Zeb's ear twitched in concern. "Ezra, I-"

 _Loss is part of the deal._

"Give me your word, Zeb."

Zeb was silent for a second, then nodded. "You have my word, brother."

"Good." Ezra turned to see Sabine and Kei standing a few hundred metres away, with the Mandalorian Commander holding a blaster pistol under her chin.

 _With Love comes Loss._

Ezra took a step forward. "She walks first!"

Kei nodded and pushed Sabine, who started walking. Simultaneously, Ezra started moving, timing his steps to match hers.

Sabine stared at him. "Ezra, you don't have to do this!"

Ezra stopped beside her. "It's time for you to go home." He took her hand. "You were right about what you said earlier. About being my best friend." He smiled at her. "Thank you. Go. Go!"

Zeb grabbed Sabine as she made a run for Ezra. "Get in the Ghost. Go!" He forcibly moved Sabine onto the ship. "Hera, we need to go!"

Hera took off, hating herself for abandoning Ezra. "Spectre Two to Spectre Six, come in!"

No response.

"Spectre Six, come in!"

No response.

Ezra resumed walking, smiling a little at the sound of the Ghost lifting off. He had won. Sabine was safe.

In moments, he arrived beside Kei. "I've taken you at your word. But if you're lying to me, if anything happens to her or my family, your entire world will come apart, and you will never see it coming."

Kei stared impassively at him. "We just want you, Jedi. That's all we've ever wanted." He smiled. "I'd say you were going to enjoy Garel, but you'd know I was lying."

* * *

"He's gone." Sabine slumped into the copilot's seat, voice hoarse from screaming for Ezra. "What now?"

Hera stared out the viewport. Ezra was no longer visible, but gun turrets were starting to point at them, with their message clear: leave. "The Empire has a very large bounty on his head. Commander Kei will probably try to turn it in."

"Or worse." Sabine was now staring at the floor. "Most Mandalorians hate Jedi. He might do something to him personally."

Hera looked at her. "So, what do you want to do?"

Sabine closed her eyes. "Ezra told me to go home. And I will honour his last wish."

"You mean we're not going to look for 'im?" Zeb appeared in the doorway. "Just leave him to his fate?"

Sabine swallowed, blinking back tears. "Kei would have moved him by now. Off to a planet that we don't know, likely. Ezra wanted me to go back home, I want to find out why."

Hera slowly nodded. "Alright. Setting course for Krownest."

Sabine shook her head. "No. His home. He used the phrase, 'time for you to go home' very specifically."

* * *

Sabine shone a flashlight into the destroyed room of Ezra's parents home, narrowing her eyes in annoyance. She had prevented the crew from going with her, citing that this was her path alone.

Slowly moving around the burnt remains, Sabine gasped as the light shone upon a miniature holoprojector. Turning it on his shaking hands, she closed her eyes as Ezra's image appeared.

 _"Sabine."_ Ezra sighed. _"You're likely angry at me. Angry at making Zeb hold you back."_ Well, he wasn't wrong. _"And I understand. I don't blame your anger. But I would have done the exact same thing again to save you. We will see each other again. I believe that. Keep fighting for freedom. Watch over Jacen and Hera. And remember, I love you."_ He smiled. _"I loved you always."_

* * *

Ezra's mind drifted to Sabine, and he hoped she had gotten away. He had spent enough time around Mandalorians to know they kept their word. He had banked Sabine's life on it.

 _Keep your blade up. It's easier to drop it than it is to raise it._

Memory overtook him, and Ezra didn't have the capacity to care. Listening to Kanan was far preferable to the current situation.

 _You guys are getting pretty good._

 _Good? You mean we weren't good enough before?_

 _I think she means you're even better now._

 _I'll take it-Hey!_

 _Never turn your back on an enemy._

 _Okay, but since when are you my enemy?_

 _Let's_ _go again._

The crackle of an energy whip drew Ezra's attention, and he grit his teeth in anticipation of the next round of pain. The Imperials had skipped the standard cell treatment and jumped straight to torture. Apparently, Commander Kei was infuriated with the events on Garel. Ezra had been around Sabine enough to know that Mandalorians carried a grudge.

And he was willing to endure it all to protect his family. He knew that Mandalorians were a people of their word. As long as Sabine was safe, Ezra would stay.

* * *

 **Chapter Notes!**

 **I). That flashback bit in the middle is a conversation that Hera and Ezra had the night before the Dome Launch. Because does canon really stop you from creating angst?**

 **II). Ezra demonstrates the willingness of Jedi to sacrifice their life in a moment for someone they love. We see it in Obi-Wan, ROTJ Luke, Kanan. Ezra follows along a history written by the Jedi where they choose what they believe to be morally correct.**

 **III). ?**

april fools


	19. Darkest Night

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed on the previous chapter. Special thanks to AI-0334-Offensive Bias for goading me into finishing this.**

 **Right, so, it's been a while. Here's what happened. I had previously written out this chapter, and was pleased with it. I go to post it, and find that the chapter was gone from my Notes. So, I tried to re-write it word-for-word, but found I coudn't, got annoyed, and walked away. Finally, this redo happened. And I'm sad you guys won't be able to read the original.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **(Page Break)**

Ezra ran into the Medical Bay on the _Resolution_ , panting for breath as he looked around. Finally, his eye landed on the nurse attendant there, and he swallowed. "General…Syndulla?"

The nurse pointed down a hallway and Ezra returned to sprinting, calling on the Force to point him to the right door. Moments later, he stopped, closing his eye as he reached into the Force.

Hera was alive.

Ezra entered the medic room to find Sabine and Zeb sitting in chairs, crowded around an unconscious Hera lying in a hospital bed.

Dropping a quick kiss on Sabine's cheek, Ezra knelt beside her, staring at Zeb. "What happened?"

The Lasat sighed. "Routine patrol. We were checking the perimeter around the _Resolution_ when four TIE Fighters happened upon her. Hera gave as good as she got, but-"

Ezra scowled. "Why was no one with her!"

Zeb rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "We were in the general area, but you know how Hera is, Ezra."

Ezra nodded and leaned back. "I'm sorry, Zeb." He ran a hand over his face. "This is all happening because I haven't stopped the Empire."

Sabine took his hand. "Ezra, you're one person. You can't-"

Ezra glanced at her. "I'm a Jedi. I should." He sighed, squeezing Sabine's hand. "We never should have left."

Zeb let out a bitter laugh. "Kid, you needed the time away." He shrugged. "Maybe this was always going to happen."

"Or, maybe Sabine and I could have prevented it by _staying_."

Sabine shook her head. "That's like saying we could have prevented what happened to Kanan if we hadn't rebelled."

Zeb lowered his head. "Maybe we could."

Sabine stared at him, shock in her eyes. "You don't really believe that."

The Lasat sighed. "Kanan died because Pryce wanted to end our rebellion. We-"

Sabine scoffed. "We've saved countless lives. Saved Lothal. Rescued my family! The-"

"Needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." Zeb nodded. "Kanan said that a lot. Doesn't change the fact that he'd still be here if we hadn't rebelled!"

Sabine stood. "If we hadn't rebelled, then-"

Ezra, unable to take it, stood. "Enough! Both of you!" He barely registered Sabine and Zeb's startled look as they fell silent. "It doesn't matter if we stayed or left. Rebelled or not. It's reality. It actually happened." He began pacing. "We rebelled against the Empire, fought back, and Hera is on her deathbed because of it." He swallowed. "Because of me."

Sabine tentatively reached an arm out to him, but Ezra took a step back. "None of this would have happened-and I mean _none of it_ -if I had never found Kanan in that marketplace." He looked around. "You know it. I know it." Ezra sighed. "Even she knows it."

Sabine watched, paralysed, as Ezra left the room. Her Jedi had a remarkable ability to feel guilty about things entirely outside his control. Luckily, she had gotten rather good at helping him.

 **(Page Break)**

Ezra sighed as he stared out the viewport. "Sabine, I need some time to think. I just want to be left alone."

She stopped beside him. "Just hear me out. You came to us for a very specific reason at a very specific time. If you hadn't, think about where you would be. Where we all would be?"

Ezra sighed. "Not in a good place. I probably would be dead by now." He closed his eye. "As unfair as my life seems, and as much as I may wish that my life was different, I realise that, had my life turned out any different, I never would have become a Jedi." He looked at Sabine. "And although people have died on my watch, people who shouldn't have, countless others have been saved." Ezra returned his gaze to the viewport. "So maybe my life has turned out the exact way it needed to."

There was comfortable silence between the two, until Sabine hesitantly spoke. "Back on the Dome, you were willing to go to Thrawn. Why did you stay?" She watched as Ezra gave a non-commited shrug. "Why didn't you?

Ezra shook his head. "I don't know. I couldn't."

She scoffed. "That's not an answer."

Ezra turned to look at her. "Why is this so important all of a sudden!"

It had been important for a while now, Sabine just didn't know how to ask until now. "Because I want to remember what you say right now."

"Oh for the love of-" Ezra shook his head. "I was weak. I was a coward. I wouldn't got to Thrawn!"

"You said wouldn't that time."

He threw up his arms. "Whatever! I wouldn't! A millennia, and I'm the first Jedi who _wouldn't_ sacrifice himself to save others."

Sabine shook her head. "That's not the real reason, is it?"

After a tense silence, Ezra spoke. "I stayed for you."

Sabine's eyes widened. "For me?"

Ezra nodded, and looked at her with love and adoration in his eye. "For you alone."

Before Sabine could speak, Zeb ran up, breathless. "Guys, we have a situation."

Ezra turned to him. "What?"

"General Skywalker has been captured by the Empire."

 **Chapter Notes!**

 **I. The outline for this stayes the same. Hera's injured, Sabine and Zeb argue about what might have been (The same argument that was the later half of the last chapter), Ezra get's annoyed and shouts them down, placing the blame on his shoulders, and Sabine goes to help him, during which he reveals the real reason he stayed back.**

 **What was added was Ezra's acceptance of his life being the way it was, closing an arc that appeared in A World Between Worlds.**

 **II. I borrowed some elements of two TV Shows I watch for parts of this chapter, just so you know. Any guesses? One is new, the other actually makes frequent appearances here.**

 **III. Luke getting captured had a bigger plot in the previous attempt at this chapter, but that attempt also ended with Ep VI. So, we'll see where this one goes.**

 **Short chapter, but this is where I falter. I just need to move past Chapter 18. We'll hopefully be returning to semi-regular updates.**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Judge**


	20. For Those Just Joining

**Thanks to V, a311243549 and RoterDrache1Akula**

 **a311243549: He's not actually being tortured. That whole chapter as a potential path the story could go that I turned into essentially a nightmare for Ezra. That path was too convoluted to keep. As for the 'you said wouldn't that time' before Ezra stated that he _couldn't_ go to Thrawn. Minor difference, but Sabine picked up on it. It's not a typo. I'm glad this is one of your favourite fics. I try very hard to provide an adequate experience for you all. **

**V: I'm surprised you found my April Fools chapter amusing. I tried very hard to make you all fear for Ezra. :). As for what becomes of Skywalker's capture, you're going to hate me.**

 **This chapter is different than other chapters I've done. It's in the style of an interrogation. Basically to provide exposition. Since I confused all of you with April Fools Chapter. My apologies.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"Please state your full name for the record."

The man looked at the holoprojector recording his words. "Ezra Bridger."

"Commander Bridger, can you walk us through the events of the last few weeks?"

Ezra slowly nodded. "Captain Wren and I returned from Krownest approximately four weeks ago."

"And how long were you gone?"

He thought back. "Six months. Give or take."

"And the nature of your visit?"

Ezra chuckled. "Personal. Take time off to get ourselves straight."

"Straight?"

* * *

 _"_ _So, you're taking me to your family's home?" Ezra frowned. "After they drew on me several times?"_

 _Sabine laughed. "Please, my father sees you as a son."_

 _Ezra smirked. "And your mother?"_

 _Sabine was silent a moment. "She…probably won't kill you."_

 _Ezra grinned and leaned back in his seat. "I think that's the best I'll get."_

 _There was comfortable silence for the span of ten minutes before Sabine noticed something off with Ezra. A quick glance over had her concerned. His eye was closed, but it wasn't in rest. She could see his hands twitching, his tell for being in pain._

 _"_ _Ezra?"_

 _He shook his head. "M'fine."_

 _Sabine engaged the autopilot and swivelled her chair to face him. "You're not." She told him shortly. She sighed. "Is it your head?"_

 _Ezra slowly nodded. "Hurts some times." He admitted. "Side effect of two lightsabers to the head."_

 _"_ _Here." Gently, Sabine placed her hands on his temple. She rubbed her fingers in small circles on either side of his head. She smiled as Ezra's eye slowly opened, an indication that the pain was starting to dull. Finally, he nodded, eying her._

 _"_ _How did you know to do that?"_

 _Smiling softly, Sabine reengaged manual control over the ship and focused on flying. "After Hoth, I researched how to deal with migrains, just in case…"_

 _"_ _So you'd know what to do." He realised. "Thank you, Sabine."_

 _There was another moment of silence before Ezra gathered the nerve to say something that had been on his mind for weeks now. "I love you."_

 _Sabine turned to him, mouth open in shock, before-_

* * *

"Commander Bridger, I fail to see how this relates to what has just happened."

Ezra smiled. "Hey, you asked about Krownest. I'm relaying the story in an orderly fashion."

A sigh was heard before the holoprojector was turned back on. "Continue."

* * *

 _"_ _Welcome home." Sabine knew in her head that there was no reason to be nervous. Her family had accepted her. But the fear still remained._ Probably due to the fact we were almost shot down last time _. She mused._

 _Beside her, Ezra shifted. Whether in anticipation of rockets or fear Sabine would redirect the conversation to what he had said before, she didn't know. He had caught her off guard with his profession of love, to the point of her being unresponsive. That was something she would have to fix while here._

 _Landing was, fortunately, uneventful. The_ Gauntlet _landed on Krownest with nary a question posed upon them. It was ideal, really. Most of Clan Wren had warmed up to Ezra when he fought alongside them, but there were a few that weren't involved in those battles that wouldn't take kindly to the Jedi's presence._

 _Sighing, Sabine stood, extending her hand to Ezra, who had just put his mask on. "Shall we?"_

* * *

"Commander Bridger, it has been half a standard hour, and all you have divulged is a few musing on the relationship between yourself and Captain Wren. The topic today is to figure out how General Skywalker was captured by the Empire. If you could kindly skip to that part of your story, we would be most appreciative."

Ezra shook his head. "Fine." He sighed. "After landing, Captain Wren and I were taken to the Stronghold. We talked to the Countess Wren about the Civil War on Mandalore. I offered Rebel Support to the Countess."

"You had no authority to do so."

Ezra scoffed. "You made me a Commander. I had the authority. Sabine Wren has helped up when she had no reason to. I would do anything to help her."

"We agree." There was a hint of an accusation there. "You would."

"Really?" Ezra sighed. "As you said, the relationship between Sabine and I isn't the topic today."

"So if you would be so kind as to skip to events more relevant, Commander Bridger?"

* * *

 _"_ _Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum."_

 _Sabine froze, slowly turning her head to stare at Ezra, who had a small smile on his face. "What?"_

 _Ezra's smile grew larger. "Our first night here, I asked your father for a translator data-pad. He did one better and gave me a book." He chuckled. "Do you remember our mission to Garel? How you were captured by Kei?"_

 _Sabine slowly nodded. "You figured out what I said."_

 _Ezra turned to the viewport, staring at the horizon. "I had an inkling of what you said when it happened. Kei turned to face you. And then there was the fact you wouldn't tell me afterwards."_

 _Sabine joined him. "You're right. I was-"_

* * *

A new voice sounded from behind the viewport. "Ezra, just skip to the end?"

"Sabine?" Ezra stared at his reflection where he knew she would stand. "What's the problem?"

"The problem is that Luke is missing and you're sitting there telling personal stories." A scoff was heard. "Move on."

Ezra nodded. "Fine." He sighed. "Is your holoprojector back on?"

"It is."

Ezra continued. "Captain Wren and I were on Krownest for nearly four months when I received a transmission from General Skywalker. Apparently he and General Organa were going after Captain Solo, and wanted my help. I warned them against going to Tatooine, given how often troubles seem to happen there, but they went anyway."

"We received no intelligence from you or Captain Wren regarding this dialogue."

Ezra nodded. "General Skywalker asked me to keep it off the record. He didn't want the Alliance to interfere."

"Interfere?"

Ezra leaned forward. "Yeah. Or maybe you would have promised support and bailed after one failed attempt, prompting the team to do it by themselves."

"Commander Bridger, while I appreciate your forwardness in addressing the underlying problem here, what happened on Lothal was-"

Ezra stood. "The final desperate attempt of a band of Rebels to free a world from the Empire. To finish the mission my father started."

"We have no records that Ephraim Bridger was-"

"Not that father." Ezra sat back down. "Jabba the Hut likely sold General Skywalker to the Empire. Probably General Organa too." He leaned back. "If you want them back, I'm your best shot."

* * *

"You _idiot_!"

Ezra ducked the blow from Sabine, smiling ever so slightly. "Love you too." He backed away a safe distance. "What did I do wrong?"

Sabine glared at him. "You offered to help get Luke back?"

He scowled. "Yes? Isn't that the right thing to do?"

Sabine scoffed. "After Luke left you on Hoth? You sacrificed your eyesight to save him and he bailed!"

Ezra nodded. "Yes, I did lose my eyesight temporarily to stop Vader from getting him. And Luke left directly after. You are right about that."

"So why are you going to save him?" Sabine shook her head. "You owe him _nothing_!"

Ezra took Sabine's elbow and led her a short distance away to a viewport. "Alright." He said softly. "What's this about?"

Sabine stared out the viewport. "Last time you faced Vader, you became blind. I'm afraid that…"

Ezra nodded. "That I won't come back." He grabbed her hands. "I will. I promise you."

Sabine shook her head. "You can't promise me that." She removed her hands. "Not anymore. You know that. After Hoth, you can't promise me anything."

Ezra's eye narrowed as she faced the viewport. "What are you talking about?"

Sabine whirled to face him. " _I know I can always count on you_." She shook her head. "You once told me that, but you push me away!"

Ezra frowned. "Sabine-"

"No." She turned back around. "Save it. Go on your mission. We'll talk when you get back."

She heard Ezra open his comm channel. "I'll be down in ten. Something's come up."

 _"_ _Copy that, Commander."_

Ezra tentatively walked up to stand beside Sabine. "What brought this on?"

Sabine cradled her head in her hands. "Nothing. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you."

"People don't say things they don't mean. Not really." Sabine faced Ezra as he quoted an old saying of Kanan's. "So, what brought this on?"

Sabine sighed. "I once thought the Jedi were invincible. Then Kanan died, and shortly after you lose your eyesight. The Jedi aren't what I thought. You can die just like anyone. I can't-" she closed her eyes. " _We_ can't lose you."

Ezra clasped his hands behind his back. "I understand. I thought the Jedi were invincible too, despite Kanan explaining to me _over_ and _over_ again how the Jedi were betrayed and destroyed. But Kanan survived so much. Vader, the Inquisitors, Maul. He lost his eyesight too." He sighed. "Then he was gone. And-and I realised how invulnerable you all became in my mind." He gave a sardonic smile. "I thought we could do it. It was one more mission, one more rescue. I never thought one of our own would be killed."

Sabine rested a hand on his shoulder. "He would have done the same thing again in a heartbeat. Just like you almost did."

Ezra nodded. "I know. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." He pressed a kiss onto Sabine's cheek. "I have to go."

Sabine sighed and slowly nodded. "Stay safe."

"You too." Ezra smiled. "Keep him safe."

* * *

 **Chapter Notes!**

 **I). Not directly stated, but Senator Mothma is conducting Ezra's briefing. I attempted to make that noticible in her dialogue, but you never know.**

 **II). Let's be honest, Ezra would totally turn a briefing about Luke's kidnapping into basically a love story. It's his style.**

 **III). I've been teasing something for the past few chapters, it's related to the end bit of this chapter. See if you can find it.**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Judge**


	21. Downward Spiral

**Thanks to Spectre6, V (Guest) and Guest for the feedback!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Ezra slowly inched into the compound, hybrid lightsaber at the ready. One of his first projects after arriving at Krownest was changing his lightsaber into the hybrid one he had before Vader destroyed it. He wasn't ashamed of being a Jedi, but experienced had taught him why Kanan often wore his own in two separate pieces on his belt.

He was alone, ordering his men to guard the entrance. If Vader was really here, those extra soldiers wouldn't stand a chance. Ezra probably didn't either, but at least he would last longer than a few seconds. Hopefully.

Entering the control room, Ezra stretched out his senses, seeking _anything_. So far the compound was completely empty. That didn't bode well for anyone. Rebel Intelligence had discovered that Jabba had sold Luke and Han to the Empire, and that they were on their way to an undisclosed location. If they had already arrived there, they were as good as dead.

Ezra shook his head, returned his lightsaber to his belt and removed his mask. "Spectre Six to Ghost, the main compound is empty."

 _"_ _Are you sure, Spectre Six?"_

Ezra closed his eye and focused. "Yeah. There's no-one here." He sighed. "I'm headed back."

A moment later, the holotable in the centre of the room flickered to life. _"Commander Bridger."_

Ezra grabbed his lightsaber and held it at the ready. "Thrawn." His eye narrowed. "What do you want?"

 _"_ _To compliment you_." Thrawn smiled. _"Your little group has had some impressive victories of late, become quite the nuisance to the Empire."_

 _"_ Glad to hear it." Ezra took a step forward. "Why are you contacting us?"

 _"_ _Your assistance."_ Thrawn's eyes narrowed. _"I have received word that the Empire is attempting to construct a new Death Star."_

Ezra's eye widened. "That's not good."

 _"_ _Indeed. Which is why an alliance-however temporary-is in our favour."_

"What did you have in mind?"

Thrawn smiled. _"I understand you have a particular grudge against Imperial Commander Kei Larson?"_

Ezra's grip on his lightsaber tightened. "Something like that."

 _"_ _I can deliver him to you."_

Ezra was silent for a moment. "Deliver or lead?"

 _"_ _More lead than deliver._ " Thrawn admitted. _"I can get Commander Larson to your sect of space, but I cannot guarantee he comes alone."_

Ezra thought for a while. "Send him to Garel. We'll be there."

 _"_ _Very well."_

The holoprojection died and Ezra grabbed his comm. "Spectre Six to Ghost, we have a change in plans."

* * *

"So, Garel?" Sabine tilted her head to regard Ezra as he entered the cockpit. "You sure we can trust Thrawn?"

Ezra nodded, sinking into the co-pilots chair. "I do. This is an opportunity to take out Kei. We have to take it."

Sabine sighed, setting the coordinates. "So what's your plan?"

Ezra glanced at her. "I challenge Kei to a duel. Just him verses me."

Sabine's eyes widened. "No, no, no, no. Ezra, you'll be killed!" She shook her head. "Kei lacks honour. You challenge him to a duel and he will order his men to open fire."

Ezra stared at the streaks of light outside the viewport. "So what do you have in mind?"

"You're not going to like it." She closed her eyes, anticipating the argument. "Have Kei capture me."

As predicted, Ezra stood. "Absolutely not. If he lacks honour, what's to stop him from killing you?"

Sabine smiled. "You." She watched as Ezra froze. "He wants you. I'm the best chance to get you two alone enough to finish it."

Ezra shook his head. "No."

Sabine leaned back. "Give me one good reason not to."

"It's not just you anymore."

Her face softened and she nodded. "Fair enough." Sabine spun the chair around to face him. "I can protect us, you know. The odds of-"

"Whatever the odds, they're still too high for me." Ezra sat back down beside her and placed a hand on her knee. "I get it, we're Rebels. It's an occupational hazard. But that's not a hazard I'm willing to take. Not with you."

Sabine smiled and kissed his cheek. "Okay." She stared at his destroyed eye. "But we have to come up with something. Or else you'll just have a repeat of Hoth."

Ezra nodded. "I know." He sighed. "So what's the plan?"

* * *

"I don't want to fight you."

Ezra watched as Kei's eyebrow raised. "Oh, really? That I find doubtful."

Ezra shrugged. "I'm tired of war. The Empire's taken too much."

Kei grinned. "And we will continue to take more. You, Wren, Phoenix Squadron. All will bow to the might of the Empire!"

Slowly, Ezra nodded, closing his eye. "I know." He admitted quietly. "No matter what we do, things just seem to be getting worse." Slowly, Ezra unclasped his lightsaber and held it out to Kei. "If I surrender to you, will you promise to not kill my family."

Kei took the saber and nodded. "You have my word."

A single sniper plasma shot later, Kei was on the ground, clutching the hole in his right shoulder. Ezra summoned the lightsaber to him and ignited it, pointing it at the fallen Commander. "Your word means nothing to me."

Slowly, Kei rose to his feet, left hand going to his blaster pistol before Ezra shoved him to the ground. "It's over." Kei shook his head and attempted to rise again, but another sniper shot into his left knee left him on the ground. "Give up."

As Kei lay there, Rebel Officers arrived with stun cuffs, and Ezra grabbed his comm. "You there, Spectre Five?"

Sabine's reply was instantaneous. _"Did it work?"_

Ezra looked on as the Officers dragged Kei to a holding cell. "Like a charm." He smiled. "It's over."

* * *

"Commander Bridger." Thrawn regarded him with a smile. "I trust your problem has been dealt with?"

Ezra nodded and took a seat across from the Chiss. "With your help. Thank you."

Thrawn nodded. "I do apologise for summoning you, but there is a most urgent matter that cannot wait." He activated the holoprojector in the centre of the table and leaned back, staring at the schematic. "This is the Second Death Star." He watched as Ezra leaned forward. "Little more than a shell at this point, but at full power-"

Ezra nodded. "It will destroy the Alliance." He glanced at Thrawn. "We can try and get our people in on the construction crews, plant weaknesses, play the long game. But, why is this a pressing concern right now?"

Thrawn pressed another button. "General Skywalker is currently being held on board the station, being prepared for execution in two days."

Ezra frowned. "That's not a lot of time." He looked at Thrawn. "Are you able to assist?"

Thrawn shook his head. "Not at this time. There are more pressing matters at the moment, enemies that are more dangerous in the long run than the Empire. Those problems require immediate attention."

Ezra stood and held out his hand. "If you need anything, ask. Phoenix owes you, Thrawn."

Thrawn took the hand. "I wish you luck in your mission, Commander Bridger. Perhaps the time shall come again where my aid would be able to be given."

* * *

Sabine watched as Ezra returned to the base and smiled at him. She had been briefed about the meeting with Thrawn after Ezra had left, and already had Rebel Intelligence working on the new Death Star problem. With Kei gone, they had abundant room to work.

Ezra walked up to her and kissed her soundly, pulling her in for a hug. "Hey." He whispered.

Sabine's smile grew. "Hey." She pulled away and took his hand. "They're waiting for you in the briefing room."

Ezra nodded, walking alongside her. "I need you to do something for me. Something you're not going to want to do."

Sabine tilted her head, looking quizzically at him. "Anything."

Ezra stopped at the door to the briefing room and turned to her. "I need you to stay behind."

Predictably, Sabine shook her head. "What? No! Ezra, just because I'm-"

Ezra jumped in. "We're going to the heart of the Empire. I'm not going to risk your lives for this."

Sabine narrowed her eyes. "Ezra, I'm coming."

There was a long silence, before Ezra sighed. "Please don't make me do this."

Sabine frowned. "Do what?"

Before another word could be spoken, Sabine felt herself be lifted into the air and gently moved into an empty storage room, the door closing and locking behind her. Sabine jumped to her feet and banged on the door. "Ezra!"

"Sabine, I can't risk you getting hurt! I'm sorry!"

Sabine banged all the harder. "Ezra!"

Ezra turned to Wedge, who had the best understanding of Ezra and Sabine's relationship. "Make sure she stays there until we've left. Then make sure she stays on base."

Wedge swallowed. "You sure that's a wise idea? She's not going to be happy."

Ezra nodded as he walked away. "At least she'll be alive." He turned back and looked at the door, still shaking under Sabine's assault.

"Even if we aren't."

* * *

 **Chapter Notes!**

 **I). Thrawn is a really fun character to write. His speech patterns are actually really similar to Mon Mothma's, which is interesting. Hmmm...**

 **II). I'm kinda attached to Kei, if only because he's a character created by _me_ , which is special to me. So, he's alive. And probably more thirsty for revenge than ever. **

**III). It should be obvious to some-if not all-of you what's going on with Sabine. I feel like I'm dropping enough hints without saying anything. My question to you is, what is the relation of Ezra and Sabine at this stage? And, even if you _know_ the answer, what do you think their state is going to be after Sabine gets out of that closet?**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Judge**


	22. Shot Down

**Thanks to Guest, V and Spectre6 for the feedback!**

 **Spectre6: Sabine actually divorces Ezra in-between this chapter and the last one because he locked her in the closet. ;)**

 **V: Reading the Thrawn novels has really changed my perspective on the Grand Admiral. Reading the books, you're actually rooting for the Empire. I like your thought of Mothma and Thrawn being the anithesis of eachother. Makes perfect sense.**

 **Guest: Honestly, I use Thrawn randomly. There's no telling when or if he pops up again. But, going back to the books, Thrawn was all about protecting his people. I don't think his goal has changed after everything that's transpired in For You Alone.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Eventually, Wedge let her out of the closet, and Sabine punched him in the face and ran off to find Ezra, fully intending to do the same. She arrived at the hanger bay in time to watch the _Ghost_ , _Phantom_ , and other Rebel ships take off.

Shaking her head in exasperation, Sabine punched Wedge in the face again as he caught up to her and ran to the Command Centre. She knew Ezra's plan, make sure Sabine wasn't involved in the op.

She didn't realise Hera was also involved in his scheme, as the General barred her access to the Command Centre. Defeated, Sabine went back to her room and sat down, refusing to give in to the fear.

Four hours later, Sabine began pacing, fully living in the fear. What if Ezra ran into Vader? Or sacrificed himself for Luke? That would be something a Jedi would do, and Ezra had proven himself to be one of them.

After what seemed like days, the door opened, and a weary Ezra stepped inside, sighing as he looked at Sabine. "I'm sorry."

Sabine, forgetting her hours of worry and anger, ran to him and enveloped him in a hug, holding on tightly. After minutes, she let go and led Ezra to her bed, sitting him down. "What happened?"

Ezra buried his head in his hands. "It-It was a trap." He swallowed. "The Empire knew we were coming, and we walked right into it."

Sabine sat beside him and took his hand. "Luke?"

Ezra closed his eye. "Dead. Same with General Solo." He achingly stood and leaned against the wall. "I have to report to Hera."

Sabine grabbed his hand. "Tomorrow. It can wait."

Ezra pulled Sabine up alongside him. "No, it can't. Not this time." He closed his eyes and focused, and suddenly all traces of tiredness was gone. "Let's go."

Sabine followed, surprised at the change in Ezra. "What happened?"

Ezra looked back at her and grinned. "I'm using the Force to bolster my energy. It's not going to last long." He hesitantly knocked on the Command Centre door. "Just long enough."

A Rebel Captain quickly ushered them in, and Ezra nodded at Hera. "We're back."

Senator Mothma leaned forward in her chair. "What did your team discover."

Ezra closed his eye and squared his shoulders. "Generals Skywalker and Solo are dead. I don't know about Leia." He sighed. "Senator, I'm not going to lie. Our best shot at winning this war is gone."

Mothma nodded. "What do you recommend?"

Ezra looked at Hera, who nodded. "I recommend we disappear. Splinter the Rebellion, find more worlds like Atollon. Regroup, just long enough to rebuild what we lost."

"Interesting." Mothma looked to General Dodonna. "Would the Empire even be vulnerable if we held off?"

Before the council could get into a debate, Ezra, feeling his energy fade, ignited his lightsaber, drawing everyones attention. "If we strike randomly, hitting key points, the Empire wouldn't have time to build up a force like that. With Thrawn gone, the TIE Defender isn't going to harass us."

Mothma frowned. "Commander Bridger, are you alright?"

Ezra waved her concern away and returned his lightsaber to his belt. "We can't completely disappear, and we can leave enough Rebels behind to hide our true numbers." He closed his eyes, swaying slightly. "That good, General?"

Hera nodded. "Good work, Ezra. Get some sleep. You've earned it." Once the duo was gone, She turned to the others. "I agree with his suggestion."

General Dodonna frowned. "Based on it being a solid plan, or your bias?"

Rex shook his head. "No, Ezra described something we'd do in the Clone War. General Skywalker called it Guerrilla Warfare. We divide our numbers to look smaller and weaker, and usually the enemy would overcommit, leaving them vulnerable." He nodded approvingly. "It's a good plan."

Rex being the only one who saw conflict in the Clone War, he held the most sway. Eventually, Mothma nodded. "But we have to make it look like the Empire crushed us. If we simply disappear, that very same General who coined the phrase will see right through us."

Dodonna reluctantly nodded. "I agree." He looked over to Hera. "General Syndulla? Your thoughts?"

Hera thought for a moment. "We haven't had a real base since Hoth. Maybe we don't need a crushing defeat. Maybe a skirmish that destroys one or two of our Command ships will be enough."

Dodonna scowled. "You would destroy what we've worked so hard for? Those Capital ships are a symbol of what we are. They bring hope to worlds crushed by the Empire!"

The door opened, and Sabine entered the conversation. "Sometimes you have to hurt one symbol to protect the greater good." She turned to Hera. "He's asleep in my room. And, I agree with him."

"Captain Wren." Sabine turned to Senator Mothma. "As the one closest to Commander Bridger, I wonder if you can shed some light on how he is doing?"

Unconsciously, Sabine's hand fell to her pistol. "Excuse me?"

Mothma stood. "Commander Bridger has been under significant physical and mental stress since the death of Kanan Jarrus. Our debrief with him was unable to provide us with any details of lasting effects of those final days on Lothal."

Now Sabine noticed her hand touching the pistol, but did nothing to move it. "He's fine."

Mothma frowned. "Is he?"

Sabine blocked out everything she knew about Ezra. His nightmares, his blindness, the time he was nearly sent into a coma right before Alderaan's destruction, watching his Master die right in front of him, probably coming close to suffering hypothermia when he wandered out of Echo Base due to his nightmares, maybe watching Luke die. "Yep."

Mon Mothma didn't turn. "General Syndulla, do you agree with Captain Wren's assessment?"

Out of the corner of her eye, Sabine saw Hera nod. "I do. Sabine is the closest person to Ezra. She knows him better than all of us combined." Sabine also saw Hera's smirk. "In every way."

 _She knows._

Sabine put her helmet on and turned. "Then we're done here."

Once outside the Command Centre, Sabine removed her helmet and stared out the viewport at the passing blue lines. She didn't know the smaller details of Ezra's plan, and with him passed out in her room, she wasn't about to ask. All she could do was trust.

* * *

Explosions rang out all around the base, and Ezra ran to the window, eye wide. Quickly, he motioned Sabine back. "Get to the _Phantom_."

Sabine complied, grabbing his hand. "Ez?"

He shook his head. "Move. We don't have time for anything else."

Despite Sabine asking what was wrong, Ezra was unable to pay her any mind, racing to start the engines. As soon as he could, the ship was in the air, flying as fast as it could away. Then he turned to Sabine. "The Empire found us."

Sabine gasped. "Wha-How…" She shook her head. "And you left?"

Ezra engaged the hyperdrive and sighed. "I had no choice." He admitted. "This was my plan. Kinda. The Empire has become too powerful for open war. We're splitting up, rebuilding, and then regrouping."

Sabine swallowed and stared out the viewport. "So we lost."

Ezra grasped her shoulder. "No, we didn't. We're all going to worlds like Atollon to establish bases. And we strike when the time is right."

Sabine turned to him. "Ezra, that could take _years_."

He nodded. "I know. But this is our only play." He leaned back in his seat. "Let's just hope the others got out too."

* * *

 **Chapter Notes!**

 **I). I didn't write the actual op because I suck at action scenes, and Luke and Han dying surely would have had action. On that note, yeah, they're dead. Sorry. It had to be done.**

 **II). Writing Mothma is still fun.**

 **III). So, the splintering of the Rebellion. I get the sense that's what would have happened if the Rebels lost during the Battle of Endor. With the death of one of their most charasmatic Generals, and a Jedi, I think the splintering is appropriate. Phoenix is also divided, with Ezra, Sabine and Chopper going one way, and Hera, Zeb and Wedge going another. (I know canonically Wedge is in Rogue Squad, just shut up. I liked him in Rebels.)**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Judge**


	23. Pain and Sorrow

**Thanks to Guest, HistoryObsessedSciFiNerd16, Stargazing Writer, Guest and V for the feedback!**

 **Guest:** ** _peeks cautiously from behind a door:_** **Here you go! Enjoy!**

 **HistoryObsessedSciFiNerd16: I appreciate your opinion, but you have made a grave error, friend. You gave me a new arc to play with. I will say though, my brother and sister-in-law have been married for three years, and have a two-year-old son. I know a great many couples like that. And, on your decade comment, Ezra and Sabine have known each other for probably something nearing that at this point in the story.**

 **But, yes, this chapter was inspired from your comment. Enjoy.**

 **Stargazing Writer: That honestly means so much to me. The knowledge that my story is good enough for you to sacrifice sleep to the FanFiction gods. Slow burns in ships, in my head at least, are the only way to make them truly worthwhile. Case-in-point, Ezra Bridger and Sabine Wren. That April Fools chapter was honestly an abandoned plot point I decided to turn into something new.**

 **Guest: I have been known to** ** _occasionally_** **dabble in grim chapters. Speaking of which, here ya go!**

 **V: Oh, I am definitely embracing this AU being unique. Sadly, Luke and Han are gone, mostly because I don't know how to write Captain Solo. And, to be honest, I added Leia's name as a typo, one I have fixed. Do keep in mind that Ahsoka, another tether to The Jedi (Vader's name for Anakin, one I really like) is still alive.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"Two, Five, Three, One, Six, Four!"

Sabine rolled away from Ezra, raising her saber defensively. "Not…fair."

Ezra grinned. "Hopefully, you remember the lightsaber forms I taught you." He raised his saber in salute. "You'll need them."

Sabine sighed and went back to ready position, eyes narrowing. For the longest time, Ezra didn't move, and that gave Sabine the opportunity to review what had happened.

Following the deaths of General Skywalker and General Solo, Ezra had made the suggestion to fracture the Rebellion. Make it look like the Empire had defeated them, and go into hiding to build up strength. Mon Mothma had agreed, and now Ezra, Sabine and Chopper were hiding out on the planet of Zeffo, far from the reaches of the Empire.

They had been there for the past two months, and Sabine had begun to notice a certain…problem with her armour. Not one she really wanted to talk to Ezra about, so she opted to stealthily remove pieces of the beskar from her body glove.

Suddenly, Ezra lowered his lightsaber, narrowing his eyes as he looked to the sky. Spar forgotten, Sabine moved to stand beside him, eyeing him with concern. "Ezra?"

Ezra held out his hand. "Quiet."

Silence reigned for several minutes before the Jedi blinked and looked at her. "We aren't alone here."

Sabine returned Kanan's lightsaber to her belt. "The Empire?"

Sighing, Ezra nodded. "They aren't looking for us, though. Probably just trying to lock this world down." He glanced down to Sabine's midsection. "I'm going to go scout ahead."

"No." Sabine grabbed his arm. " _We're_ going to scout ahead." She had anticipated the look in his eye. "Ezra, I'm not going to just sit around and worry about you for the next six months."

Ezra let out a sigh and shook his head, smiling ever-so-slightly. "I can't stop you, can I." He nodded. "Let's go."

* * *

 _"_ _Tama, do you copy?"_

Ezra smiled and lifted his comm. "All clear, Eilene."

A moment later, Sabine appeared, and Ezra's eyes nearly bugged out. He had very rarely seen her without her armour, those few occasions reserved for when they ran into each other in the middle of the night, or undercover ops.

Now, after landing on Coarela, the Capital City of Zeffo, under an assumed name, Sabine had changed out of her armour, knowing it was recognisable to Imperials. She smirked at Ezra. "What?"

Ezra grinned and took her arm. "You look stunning."

"And I don't always?" She lightly swatted his arm. "Meanwhile you're in the same clothes?"

Ezra shrugged. "Orange shirts aren't uncommon. Not every Imperial is Thrawn."

Sabine slipped her hand into Ezra's and chuckled. "At least your lightsaber looks more like a blaster now. That'll help."

Ezra nodded absently, eyes narrowing in concentration. The Force was attempting to tell him something. The sounds of the crowds, the bleating of animals, even Sabine's voice itself fell silent as he gave himself wholly to the Force.

The Force buzzed around him, and Ezra moved, throwing himself and Sabine to the ground the same moment a high powered rifle sounded a few hundred meters away. Keeping Sabine protected, Ezra heard the second shot and commanded the Force to stop the bolt in midair, leaving it hanging as he stretched his senses out.

After ensuring there were no more shooters, Ezra turned back to Sabine, eyes going wide at the sight before him. Sabine was on the ground, eyes closed, face pale…

And a burn mark on her abdomen.

Ezra nearly panicked, almost losing concentration on the blaster bolt, as he knelt down and gently touched the burn on Sabine's stomach. Surrendering himself to the Force, Ezra focused on the damages, desperately doing whatever he could.

The sound of a speeder cut through his panic, but Ezra held back long enough to see Sabine get medical attention, then turned his full focus on the retreating speeder, willing it to stop with the Force. Then he sent his still frozen blaster bolt back at the speeder, causing it to explode.

No longer caring what it may mean, Ezra ignited his lightsaber, relishing the look of fear that fell upon Sabine's attacker's face. Moving with renewed panic, the assassin tried to jump over the side of the ruined speeder, but invisible tendrils held him fast as Ezra slowly walked towards him.

The assassin tried bravado as a tactic. "You'll never get me to talk, Jedi."

Ezra was breathing heavily, hate in his eyes. "If she dies," he breathed. "You're going to wish you hit me instead." He lifted his saber and pointed it at the assassin's left shoulder. "Who ordered the hit?"

The assassin squirmed. "I did. I decided to-AH!"

The pain of having a lightsaber driven into his shoulder rendered any further words a mere howl of pain, and Ezra leaned in close. "You are an assassin. You don't have the authority to kill; not without someone providing you the target." He twisted the saber, mutely listening to the man's cries. "Who ordered the hit?"

The man finally got a handle on his pain. "Mothma!"

Ezra's blood froze, and he wrapped the Force around the man's throat, squeezing. "What did you just say?"

The assassin was struggling for air. "Senator Mothma ordered the hit. Said you and Captain Wren were too much of a liability."

Ezra increased pressure. "You're lying." He growled. "The Senator doesn't even know where we are!"

"Squadron Leader Antilles does!" The assassin's face was beginning to turn purple. "General Syndulla does! Captain Orrelios, Captain Kallus! They all know your location. And none of them saw any reason to not let Senator Mothma know."

Ezra grinded his teeth together in rage. "Don't make me take the truth from your mind."

The assassin's eyes bugged out. "I'm telling you the truth! With your wife's condition, Senator Mothma deemed you and Captain Wren a liability, fearing you would break if the Imperials ever found one of you."

Disgusted, Ezra released the man, narrowing his eyes. "Where is your ship."

The assassin lifted a trembling hand. "Bay Two." His eyes widened as Ezra began walking away. "Wh-Where are you going?!"

Ezra didn't stop. "To have a talk with the Senator." He faced the downed man. "If my wife dies, I will find you."

The Jedi stepped onto a turbo lift, and was rushed out of sight, just as the assassin laid back on the ground and grabbed a comm unit. "Senator, I failed. I'm sorry." He swallowed. "Bridger will find you now."

 _"_ _Was your mission a success?"_

The assassin was silent for a moment. "I hit the Captain, I don't know her condition."

 _"_ _You'd best hope she dies, otherwise you'll have a very angry Mandalorian out for your blood. Not to mention Commander Bridger."_

The assassin nodded and stood. "Understood. Tresky out."

* * *

 **Chapter Notes!**

 **I). Ezra shouting numbers out to Sabine is him telling him what lightsaber form he's going to attack her with, as seen in Trials of the Darksaber.**

 **II). So, I received a review from** **HistoryObsessedSciFiNerd16, stating that they found it unlikely that Sabine would be pregnant after a year of dating Ezra. And, as long-time followers of Judge will know, I tend to take those types of comments and turn them into ideas. In this case, Sabine getting shot in the stomach by a sniper. Which, thanks to HistoryObsessedSciFiNerd16, actually answers a different prompt I** **received, which was to give you guys more Dark Side Ezra. Didn't quite think it would happen like this, did you?**

 **III). Let's be honest, Mothma would absolutely hang operatives out to dry if she thought they would compromise the Rebellion. We saw Cassian do it in Rogue One with no repercussions, why not the esteemed Senator?**

 **So, I know I've been gone for a while, and I can't guarantee when this story gets updated, but at least there's one more chapter, right? Albeit with a cliffhanger, but hopefully I have opportunity to finish this latest arc soon.**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Judge**


	24. Ways Forward and Beyond

**Thanks to Guest, dssax000, Guest, tython055, LethalJustice94 and Runereader of the Nightwings for the feedback!**

 **dssax000: To be honest, that's the best kind of review. Affirmation that you are doing a good job, but also criticism. By no means am I a perfect writer; and oftentimes it is because of people like you telling me what I can do better that helps me to strive to be greater. In response to what you commented on, my writing style is more of 'present all the setup to romance, but save the actual moments for later down the road, in an attempt to capitalize on the wait'. As for the dream/April fools chapter, well, keep reading.**

 **Runereader of the Nightwings: Truthfully, I don't know if Mothma would kill her own people. My only confirmation of that sort of deed is Cassian in Rogue One.**

 **Have a not-cliffhanger chapter for once!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Zeb found Hera pacing. "What's going on?"

Hera glanced his way, but didn't stop circling the _Ghost's_ common area. "Senator Mothma reported Ezra and Sabine were involved in an incident where they're staying, but she isn't telling me anything else."

Hera's comm pinged, and she nearly dropped it in her rush to answer. "Hello?"

"Hera?" Sabine's voice filtered through the tiny speaker. "Do you know where Ezra is?"

Hera shook her head, forgetting Sabine couldn't see her. "He's not here. Sabine, what happened?"

Sabine gingerly stood. "There was a sniper." She glanced down at the hole in her jacket. Unbeknownst to almost everyone, she had carefully sown a thin mesh of beskar into the lining of each set of civilian clothes she had.

Almost everyone apparently included Ezra. The force of the shot had knocked Sabine to the ground, blacking out when her unprotected head hit the ground. Ezra must have thought she was really shot.

Looking at the wreckage of the ruined speeder, Sabine lifted her comm again. "He must have thought the sniper killed me. He's going to be hunting down anyone who may have a hand in this."

 _"_ _So what do you want to do?_ "

Sabine sighed and looked at her chronometer. "How soon can you guys get here?"

 _"_ _Get here?"_

Sabine nodded, scanning the horizon. "I need to find Ezra. If he thinks someone had me killed…"

 _"_ _We can be there in six hours."_

* * *

Ezra struggled to focus as he landed the _Gauntlet_ on Nevarro. Why would Senator Mothma try to kill him and Sabine? It made no sense.

He ran out of the ship, holding his deactivated lightsaber in his hands. Yes, he needed answers, but he wasn't prepared to kill Rebel soldiers.

Ezra narrowed his eye as two Rebels jogged up to him, one of them Alexsandr Kallus. "Commander Bridger?" Kallus sounded honestly confused. "What are you doing here?"

Ezra closed his eye and slipped into the Force. "You will take me to Senator Mothma."

The Rebel Captain repeated after him and nodded, but Kallus continued to stare. "Commander, Senator Mothma isn't available." The ex-Imperial glanced down as Ezra's hand tightened around his lightsaber and scratched his beard. "What's this about?"

Ezra spoke through clenched teeth. "Kallus, you're my friend, so walk away."

Kallus took a step back and lifted his hand to rest on his blaster. "Commander?" He invited. "Just tell me what's going on."

Ezra was shaking in rage now. "Sabine's gone." He revealed. "She was shot by a sniper who claims he got our location from Senator Mothma."

Kallus's eyes widened. "Sabine-what?" He removed his hand from his blaster. "How do you know?"

Ezra closed his eye. "I can't feel her in the Force." A single tear fell unbidden from his left eye, and he swallowed. "I could feel her growing fainter and fainter in the Force, and now there's nothing."

Kallus stepped forward and laid an hand on Ezra's shoulder. "I'll take you to Senator Mothma."

* * *

Sabine was enveloped by both Hera and Zeb the moment the _Ghost_ landed on Zeffo, and hugged them back in relief. "Where's Ezra?"

Hera pulled back and gestured to the _Ghost._ "We tried his comm, but he isn't responding. We don't know where he is, either."

Sabine nodded and pulled out her comm, calling Ezra's frequency. After a moment, she put it down. "That's odd. Ezra's comm is offline."

Zeb sighed. "Kid must think we'd try and talk him out of this."

Sabine ran a hand over her face and sighed. "Okay, we need a list of suspects. Who would want me dead?"

Zeb gave a small smile. "Not a small list."

Sabine smiled back at him, but quickly grew serious. "He's right." She glanced at Hera. "We should head to Krownest. It's the most secure place right now."

Hera nodded and ran to the navicomputer. "I'll set up an auto-call system on Ezra's comlink and rerout it to your comm, Sabine."

"Autocall?" Sabine turned to see Wedge Antilles smiling at her. "What's that?"

Sabine sat in the co-pilots seat. "The _Ghost_ will try and contact Ezra's comm every three minutes. If he picks up, he'll be patched to my comm." She nodded. "Good to see you, Wedge."

Wedge's smile grew larger. "Same to you. Sorry about before."

Sabine shrugged. "Got to punch you, so it wasn't all bad." She turned the chair to face the viewport as Hera lifted off. "You can make it up to me by helping us find my husband."

Hera turned around, shocked. "Husband?"

Sabine let out a small laugh. "There's some stuff that happened on Krownest I haven't had time to talk about."

* * *

 _"_ _Mhi solus tome, mhi solus dar'tome, mhi me'dinui an, mhi ba'juri verde."_

 _Sabine turned to Ezra, eyes wide. What he had just said, in slightly accented Mando'a, was- "Do you know what you just said?"_

 _Ezra gave a soft smile. "That's not usually how you respond."_

 _Sabine's face lit up. "Mhi solus tome, mhi solus dar'tome, mhi me'dinui an, mhi ba'juri verde." She tilted Ezra's face down and kissed her husband._

 _When they pulled apart, Ezra leaned his forehead against Sabine's. "I love you."_

 _Sabine kissed him again. "I love you too." She sat down on a rock facing Krownest's sunrise and waited until Ezra had sat down beside her. "Why now?"_

 _Ezra rubbed his eyes. "I had a nightmare a few months ago." He sighed. "Kei had captured you, and demanded that I trade myself for you."_

 _"_ _And you did." Sabine stared out into the horizon. "How-How long were you there until you were rescued."_

 _Ezra closed his eye. "I wasn't." He admitted. "I died there. Knowing I'd never get to tell you everything about how I felt. About how much I love you."_

 _Sabine turned to him with a small frown. "So you decide to marry me?"_

 _Ezra stared into her eyes. "Sabine, we're Rebels. We may die tomorrow." He gave a sardonic chuckle. "We might die today. And I can't do what Hera did."_

 _Sabine thought back to her conversation with herself after Ezra was blinded. "I know." She took Ezra's hand. "I can't either." She gave a soft smile. "You actually beat me to it."_

 _Now it was Ezra's turn to frown. "Say the vows?"_

 _"_ _I almost lost you on Hoth." Sabine shuddered lightly. "I've been thinking about this ever since."_

 _Ezra sighed. "Then-"_

 _Sabine's comm beeped, and she gave an apologetic look to Ezra as she answered. "Mother? Kinda in the middle of something."_

 _Countess Wren slowly nodded. "I understand, but I carry grave news."_

 _Ezra leaned forward, entering the call. "Countess?"_

 _The Countess was silent for a minute. "Captain Orrelios reports that General Syndulla was involved in an accident, and is critically wounded. He will be sending you coordinates shortly."_

 _The comm disappeared, and Ezra stood, extending his hand. "Come on. We have to go."_

* * *

Ezra stepped into the dimly lit Command Centre and pulled out his blaster pistol, training it on Senator Mothma. "Don't move."

The Senator turned, confusion and fear written on her face. "Commander Bridger?" Her face morphed into a look of sorrow. "Commander…Ezra…I am so sorry about Sabine. I can't-"

Ezra took a step forward, pistol trembling. "Save it! You know why I'm here!"

The Senator frowned. "No, I'm quite afraid I don't." Realization dawned on her. "You don't think-"

"Your operative _told_ me. You considered us loose ends." Ezra's finger tightened on the trigger. "You had her killed."

Mon Mothma raised her hands. "I did no such thing! Commander, someone has been playing you."

Ezra's grip wavered. He wanted _so desperately_ to believe Mothma. To trust that she wouldn't have Sabine killed. Finally, he lowered the pistol. "Then help me find who it is."

* * *

 _"_ _Ezra…Bridger? Was it?" The man before him gave a smirk. "Such an odd name."_

 _Beside him, Sabine coughed. "Governor Saxon, thank you for meeting us."_

 _Tristan Saxon nodded. "Yes, well, after the unfortunate deaths of my father and uncle, I wanted to meet the girl that has caused my family such pain." He gave a pointed glare to Ezra. "And, of course, her mynock on a leash."_

 _Ezra stood still, hands tucked behind his back. "And I'm always eager to meet the leaders that have sentenced Mandalore to such ruin." He gave a small smirk as Saxon glowered. "From what I understand,_ Governor _, you used to be someone of importance to the Wren Clan."_

 _Saxon nodded. "Indeed. The Countess and I were once close friends. In fact, they named their youngest after me."_

 _Ezra chuckled. "And I'm sure they are still deep supporters."_

 _Saxon glanced at the man behind him. "Commander Larson, prepare my ship." He stood and gestured to the door. "This meeting is over, but thank you for allowing me to know where your loyalties lie."_

 _Sabine narrowed her eyes. "I thought that became clear when I killed your uncle."_

 _Saxon gave a small smile, but the unrelenting fury behind his eyes was clear. "You should be careful, Sabine Wren. You never know when your luck will run out."_

* * *

"Commander?"

Ezra opened his eye. "I know who killed Sabine."

* * *

 **Chapter Notes!**

 **I). No, the child isn't _dead._ I kill characters, yes, but I'm not _that_ heartless. I needed a reason for Ezra to go down a dark path, and HistoryObsessedSciFiNerd16's review spurred me on. The child is _fine._ Please stop the death messages. **

**II). I have no confirmation that Mandalorian wedding vows are what this chapter presents them as, but I borrowed the idea from WestwardGlance, who has some _awesome_ Ezrabine stories out there. Subnote: I've been dropping extremely small hints that Ezra and Sabine were more than a couple for a while now. **

**III). Senator Mothma didn't order the death of Sabine, if that isn't obvious. Tresky, the assassin from last chapter, simply spouted off names of Ezra's family and friends, and let Ezra's panic do the rest. Besides, the story doesn't really go anywhere if Ezra takes down the Rebel Alliance. Interesting AU, but I would like this story to continue.**

 **IV). I'm just making up names now. Adding a new Saxon, one who would hold a grudge for what Sabine did to that family, and one who I've created with a link to the Wrens in the form of Tristan, is hopefully more enjoyable than seeing a Kei/Ezra showdown again.**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Judge**


	25. Never Too Broken

**Thanks to Ezrabinefan66, Eznf98 and dssax000 for the Feedback!**

 **Shorter chapter than normal, but it's also earlier than normal, so it balances out.**

 **This story is also on Wattpad if anyone is interested in looking at it. There _may_ be some changes due to the benefit of hindsight...**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"Still no response?"

Sabine was silent, mentally debating hurling her communicator into one of Yavin's stone walls. For the past six months, Sabine and Hera had tried to find Ezra, failing in every attempt. They had chased leads of entire gangs disappearing almost overnight, of Imperial Complexes falling, all loosely connected. The annoying thing was, they had no idea what the link was.

Sabine shook her head. "No. Ezra must have changed comms." She sighed and paced the floor of the former Rebel Command Centre. "So, Ezra thinks I'm dead, and somehow ends up on Yavin? What's the link?"

Hera frowned. "I don't know. Why would Ezra even come here?"

"I can answer that." Both women looked up as Kallus entered the room. "Commander Bridger landed here and demanded to see Senator Mothma. I refused, but then he told me you had been shot, Sabine." He spared her a small smile, which she returned. "Commander Bridger was intent on confronting Senator Mothma. After, the Commander left, and Senator Mothma told me he had found a lead, but wouldn't share."

"How long ago was this?"

Kallus sighed. "Seven months ago."

"Just after the attack." Sabine glanced at Hera. "What do you think?"

Hera gestured for Kallus to join them. "Is there a common enemy you and Ezra shared?"

Sabine laughed. "Too many. But none that can find us and deploy an assassin."

Hera turned to a data pad. "Then let's start narrowing down the list."

* * *

"Senator, there's a-"

And explosion rocked the compound, and Tristan Saxon stood. "Lock down all entrances!" He pulled out a blaster pistol. "And ready my ship."

The door to the compound blew upon, but his men just stood there. Saxon backed up. "Fire!"

"They can't." A blaster pistol shot each of the unmoving men, and Ezra Bridger stood there, hate in his eyes.

"Bridger?"

Ezra slowly walked forward, pointing his blaster pistol at Saxon. "It took me a long time to find you. To peel back all the layers of people you hid behind."

Saxon backed away slowly. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Ezra's face clenched in anger as he continued. "But I stayed patient, because ever since the day you had her killed," Ezra grabbed the Senator and pressed the pistol to his throat. "The only thing keeping me going was this moment."

Saxon frowned. "It would seem you were involved in some manner of tragedy, but I assure you, I had nothing to do with it."

Ezra scoffed and slammed his pistol into Saxon's jaw, sending him to the ground. Then he kicked the man, watching him curl up in pain. "Sabine and me, we had gotten out of all this together; and we were going to start a whole new life." He crouched down beside Saxon. "But you came along and took that all away in a split second."

Ezra stood and pointed his pistol at Saxon. "It wasn't just my wife you murdered." His face contorted with rage mingled with sorrow. "She was carrying my son." Dimly, he registered Saxon's look of shock.

"What?"

Ezra took another step forward, blaster shaking, face trembling. "You killed my son!" He closed his eye, tears slipping unbidden. "And now, I'm going to kill you."

"Ezra!"

Ezra clenched his jaw. "Stay out of this, Hera! This has nothing to do with you!"

"Sabine's still alive!"

Ezra looked back, shocked, then refocused on Saxon. "No. She died, I felt it."

"Ezra!"

Ezra fully dropped the pistol, turning around to stare at Sabine. "You-You're dead."

Sabine took off her helmet and smiled. "I'm not." She took a step forward. "Ezra, it's me."

Forgetting Saxon, Ezra ran to Sabine and embraced her tightly, tears running down his face. "I thought I lost you."

Sabine laughed in joy and kissed him. "I'm still here."

Ezra rested his forehead atop hers. "I love you."

Sabine softly pecked his cheek. "I love you too."

The sound of a ship's engines firing up broke the happy couple out of their revelry, and Ezra sighed as they watched Saxon escape. "He's just going to keep sending assassins after us."

Hera had a small smile on. "Why don't you reach out with the Force, see if it can help us?"

Ezra nodded and slipped into a trance, drawn instantly to his wife. "Sabine…" He opened his eye, startled as he looked at her midsection. "Did-"

Sabine took his hand. "There's someone on Krownest who's waiting to meet you." She whispered.

* * *

Sabine smiled as they entered the atmosphere of Krownest. "Su cuy'gar, buir, Ni've brought Ezra o'r at haa'taylir Caleb"

Ezra glanced at her. "Caleb?"

Sabine's smile grew. "For Kanan." She looked into his eye. "Seemed fitting."

Ezra nodded and took her hand. "It is."

Countess Wren sounded. "Te ad'ika Kelir cuyir waiting tion'tuur gar arrive Sab'ika."

Ezra leaned forward. "Ni cuy' o'r gar entye. Vor entye par taking baatir be ner aliit."

Sabine stared at him. His Mando'a was nearly perfect, just slightly accented. "How…"

Ezra lifted a hand as Countess Wren responded, seemingly less surprised. "Gar cuyir aliit, Ezra. Gar took baatir be sabine tion'tuur vi couldn't. Bal par ibac, Ni cuy' forever o'r gar entye."

Ezra chuckled. "Let's Jor'chaajir bic even then."

The transmission ended, and Ezra lowered his hand, switching back into basic. "Your father taught me while we were on Krownest. He said it may come in handy." He stood as Sabine landed the _Gauntlet_. "You ready?"

Sabine nodded and took his hand. "I've been waiting a while for this."

After reuniting with Hera, who was in the _Phantom II_ , the trio made their way to the Wren Compound, with Ezra stopping as he stared at the small bundle Ursa Wren held. "Is that…?"

Sabine smiled and took his hand. "Ezra Bridger, meet Caleb Wren."

Ezra's gaze flicked to her for a second, before resting on his son. "You named him after Kanan."

Sabine nodded. "Seemed fitting." She watched with a grin on her face as Ezra slowly took the child from Ursa, talking to him in a higher sounding voice. "I'm just glad he wasn't a girl."

Ezra cradled Caleb in his arms as he turned to her. "Why?"

Hera laughed. "A girl would have controlled you from the first moment you laid eyes on her. She would have wrapped you around her finger."

Ezra gave a half-shrug, still focused on Caleb. "Probably." He drew his free arm around Sabine and held her close. "Come on, let's get out of the cold."

Kyle Marr crouched behind one of the pillars of the complex, terrified. His first week on the job, and someone had broken in. Inwardly, he cursed his superiors. He hadn't even had enough time to discover where the armoury was, so all he had was a blaster pistol with nine charges left.

The doors blew open, and Kyle raised his pistol, pointing it at the Mandalorian standing before him. "Stop-"

A blaster bolt to the neck stopped his cry, and Tristan Saxon stepped over his body, and focused on the prisoner the guard had been protecting. "Can you fight?"

Kei Larson raised his head and smiled. "Always."

Saxon nodded and kicked the fallen blaster pistol over to him. "Then let's go."

* * *

 **Mando'a translations.**

Su cuy'gar, buir, Ni've brought Ezra o'r at haa'taylir Caleb. In Basic is: Hello, Mother, I've brought Ezra in to see Caleb."

Te ad'ika Kelir cuyir waiting tion'tuur gar arrive Sab'ika. In Basic is: the Little One shall are waiting when you arrive ,Sab'ika

Ni cuy' o'r gar entye. Vor entye par taking baatir be ner aliit. In Basic is: I am in your debt. Thank you for taking care of my family.

Gar cuyir aliit, Ezra. Gar took baatir be sabine tion'tuur vi couldn't. Bal par ibac, Ni cuy' forever o'r gar entye. In Basic is: You are family, Ezra. You took care of Sabine when we couldn't. And for that, I am forever in your debt.

Let's Jor'chaajir bic even then: In Basic is: Let's call it even then.

* * *

 **Chapter Notes!**

 **I). I've read countless fanfictions where Ezra's son is named Ephraim, and his daughter is named Mira. But all of those stories take place before Season 4. Now, after Kanan's death, I feel like Ezra would absolutely name his son after Kanan. Hence, Caleb.**

 **II). For anyone upset that this arc lasted only three chapters, that's fair. I try not to write physiological stuff I have no clue how it works, and childbirth is one of those. So I had to find a way around that. So we time jumped seven months. _But_ , this arc does have lasting effects, as Ezra's going to have to deal with the fact he left Sabine alone-after promising the opposite-during the hardest months of her life. **

**III). As previously stated, I've begun posting this story on Wattpad. I'd recommend you check it out, not only because it'll make me happy:), but also because I have stories on there that won't be on FF, and vice versa. For instance, a story on Wattpad right now is called Redemption Story, that won't be on here. But on FanFiction, there's a story called Blindsided that I'm working on that _won't_ be there. I'm also thinking about splitting a series between the two sites. Or two separate series on both sites that come together. Still thinking.**

 **Anyway, I'm on there as Judge1964 if you're interested. Hopefully you are, because I'm rather** **lonely at the moment...**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Judge**


	26. To Belong

**Thanks to V, Ezrabinefan 66 and skadoosh123 for the feedback!**

 **V: This chapter deals entirely with the questions you posed. I hope you find it enlightening.**

 **The next few chapters deal with Ezra and Sabine during that seven month period, as well as a new persona Ezra creates. Because apparently _all_ my fanfictions have to have the main character create an alternate identity. I.E. Avenger. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"He asleep?"

Ezra turned and watched as Sabine stepped out onto the balcony overlooking a valley. "Yeah. Hera's sitting with him."

Sabine gave a small smile. Over the past few days, Hera had begun to see herself as almost a grandmother to her 'kids' kid. She would jump to volunteer to watch Caleb if Ezra and Sabine needed some downtime.

Sabine joined Ezra at the railing. "We need to talk."

Ezra slowly nodded and sighed. "It's not a short story."

"You were gone seven months." Sabine glanced at him. "I'd be shocked if you finished it tonight."

 _"_ _I know who killed Sabine."_

Ezra nodded and used the Force to open the door. "Let's go." He invited. "I'll get a fire started."

 **Seven Months Ago:**

Senator Mothma stared at the young Jedi. "Who killed Captain Wren?"

Ezra brushed her aside, heading toward the exit. "I need to leave now."

"Commander Bridger, where are you going?"

Ezra shot a glare back to her. "If I tell you, you'll just contact my family. And they'll try and talk me out of what I need to do."

He made to leave, but Mothma stopped him again. "While you are gone, I have a mission for you."

Ezra's hand slowly grasped his lightsaber. "I have to catch the guy who killed Sabine. Nothing else matters."

"This does." Mothma pressed. "You told me that the assassin claimed a Senator gave him the target?" She watched as Ezra reluctantly nodded. "Before the Rebellion collapsed, I received troubling news. That the few Senators that publicly backed the Rebellion may have been corrupt, selling our intelligence to the Empire."

Ezra was silent for a long moment, trying to keep a lid on his anger. Finally, he nodded. "Fine." He moved towards the door, turning his head to face Mothma a moment later. "I still have doubts about you, so if you or Kallus tell my family anything about where I am or where I'm going, I will come back."

Mothma nodded. "Noted, Commander."

Ezra pulled out his new comm, one that no one had the frequency to, and entered in a string of numbers. "It's me." He gave no further introduction. "I need your help."

A heavy sigh was heard. _"What do you need?"_

Ezra was silent for a few minutes. "Beskar."

 _"_ _What do you know about Beskar?"_

 _Ezra thought for a moment. "It's Mandalorian metal. It can stop blaster bolts."_

 _Sabine nodded. "Right, but it doesn't have to be a lot of Beskar. The thinner the layer, the less effective it is, but even a thin layer can save your life."_

 _Ezra felt like he should be taking notes. "And your armour is forged from the Beskar from warriors past. Your armour is centuries old, and can still hold up to blaster bolts?"_

 _Sabine gave a small smile. "Yep. The Armourers on Krownest would add a little bit of new Beskar to every reforging."_

 _"_ _Is Beskar exclusive to Mandalorians?"_

 _Sabine shook her head. "No. Beskar is most common on Mandalore; we have natural veins. But you can find the odd piece of Beskar armour throughout the Galaxy." She frowned. "You want some armour, don't you."_

Putting away his comm, Ezra grabbed his data pad, reviewing the first Senator that Mothma thought was corrupt. Senator Trayis. Currently living on Coruscant.

Ezra's free hand curled into a fist.

* * *

"Sabine, just staring out the viewport isn't helping any."

Sabine sighed. "You're right." She looked down. "But there's nothing I can do. Not until he's here."

Hera rested her hand on Sabine's shoulder. "I know how hard it is to sit back and watch while everyone else fights, but he's more important. Besides, we don't know where to go." Her hand tightened. "How's your wound?"

Sabine scoffed. "Hera, I was _shot._ The only wound I have is a bruise."

Hera gave a small smile. "That sentence would be ridiculous if anyone other than you said it."

* * *

"Senator Trayis."

The Senator, a thin man with an everlasting sneer, turned around to see a man dressed in all black, with a mask over his head. The mask was wooden, with what appeared to be a stylized demon on the front. "Who are you?"

The man took a step forward. "Your actions doomed a Rebellion, and is still costing people their _lives."_ The man's hands curled up into fists. "So I'm here to kill you."

Trayis backed up a step. "What?"

A pressure slowly made itself known on Trayis's throat, and the man slowly walked forward. "Do you know who I am?"

Trayis nodded. As a fairly religious man, he had made it a personal mission of his to study several system's religions. He knew exactly who this was. "The Blue Spirit." The pressure on his throat lessened an inch, and he swallowed. "A Lothalian Demon. You take the pain others inflict, and redirect it tenfold upon them."

The mask tilted. "The Blue Spirit." The man hummed. "A fitting name, for what I'm about to do to you."

Trayis's throat was gripped again, this time by a physical hand. Slowly, the Senator was held over the ledge. "Please." Trayis begged as he looked down the the streets of Coruscant thousands of levels below. "I beg of you. Don't do this."

The Spirit took another step forward. "Tell me who else is involved!"

Trayis swallowed. "Senator Zuko of Mustafar! He's a supporter of the Rebellion too!" He took another glance down and shuddered. "Please, just let me go."

The Spirit was silent for a few seconds. "As you wish."

Ezra dropped Trayis and turned in the same motion, walking out of the apartment as the Senator's screams sounded.

* * *

"General, a report just came in for you." Wedge handed Hera a data pad and turned to leave. "Originated from Coruscant."

Hera perused the report, then stood. "Sabine, you need to read this."

Sabine ran into the commons and grabbed the data pad from Hera. "Senators Trayis, Zuko and Myamor have all been killed?" She glanced at Hera. "How does this involve us?"

Hera sat back down. "Keep reading."

Sabine sat as well. "Officially, the murders have been attributed to a masked assailant going by the name of the Blue Spirit." She frowned and turned to the Dejarik board. "That name sounds familiar."

Hera leaned forward. "Familiar how?"

Sabine began sifting through information. "Ezra once mentioned it. Said it was a Lothalian Demon of sorts. Meant to punish those who hurt people without cause." She pulled up a holopic of a drawing of the spirit and turned back to the data pad. "Security cameras picked up a glimpse of the mask."

Hera stood. "And?"

Sabine compared the two photos and moved towards the cockpit. "It's Ezra. And he's on Coruscant." She slipped her helmet on. "Let's go find him."

* * *

 **Chapter Notes!**

 **I). Why Kallus waited seven months to tell the _Ghost_ Crew about Ezra, and why Sabine couldn't contact Ezra is explained here. But he is leaving a trail. ****Unfortunately, one that is made of bodies. Told you it'd get dark!**

 **II). For Ezra's mask, think Japanese masks. When I was doing research, I could not for the life of me figure out what those demon masks are called. If anyone knows, would you be kind enough to share?**

 **III). I have a confession to make. I recently became enthralled with Avatar: The Last Airbender, and have even delved into the world of fanfiction with the show. And elements of that show make their way into this chapter. Any ideas where?**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Judge**


	27. Darkness Descending

**Thanks to V, Mmjohns and Ezrabine fan66 for the feedback!**

 **Mmjohns: I'm glad you're enjoying it. It used to be rather easy to follow, but FF took away their page breaks from stories, now it's jumpy. It's a pity.**

 **V: I think Hera would insert herself as Space Grandma no matter what. And, yeah, Ezra would be terrifying if he was a Sith.**

 **I apologise that this chapter took so long to upload, but my WiFi has been having difficulties. But, we're here now.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

"Commander!" Szin, the second-in-command, ran in panicked. "It's him!"

Senator Mwelos, the Senator for Mygeeto, stood. "Blast it!" He opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out a blaster pistol. "How did he find us?"

Abruptly, all the lights in the compound went out, and an otherworldly voice sounded. "I never lost you."

Mwelos held the pistol up in trembling hands. "Stay-Stay back!"

Mocking laughter filled the room. "Do you even know how to use that?"

A scream sounded, and the Senator turned around as Szin disappeared, leaving him alone with this demon.

Mwelos dropped the pistol and took a step back. "What do you want! I have thousands of credits!"

"I want information." The voice was sounding closer. "You will tell me everything I want to know."

Mwelos whirled. The voice had sounded like it was right against his ear. "Who are you?"

The voice was now a whisper. "Don't you know?"

Silence reigned for a few moments before Mwelos shakily walked to his datapad. "What do you want?"

"Information." The demon's voice hardened. "Word is you have a holo-tape of all the corrupt Senators planning to betray the Rebellion. I want it."

The dots connected for Mwelos. "Commander Bridger?" He stood, knowing that there was only one thing to get the Jedi to stop his rampage. Something he had learnt just a few days prior. "Sabine Wren is-"

The words died in his throat as air stopped, causing the Lurman to fall to his knees, clutching his throat. He could only watch as Ezra Bridger, now fully embracing his cover as the Blue Spirit, walked forward, hand outstretched. "Say her name again, and you won't walk away alive." He lowered the hood of the black cloak he had acquired, and removed the mask. "Just point. Where is the tape."

A frantic point to his the safe under his desk, and Ezra nodded. "Thanks." Turning away, he Force-Pushed the Senator out the window, the latter unable to scream due to the lack of air. As the Senator fell, Ezra knelt and grabbed a vibro blade from his belt, melting the lock on the safe. Taking the tape, he left the room, putting his mask back on as he walked away. "Time to visit an old friend."

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

Sabine stared at the data pad, aghast. "Seventeen?" She looked up at Hera. "Seventeen Senators killed?"

Hera nodded. "All Senators who were in league with Senator Mothma. They were supporting the Rebellion too."

Sabine shook her head. "This doesn't make any sense. Why would Ezra attack our supporters?"

The airlock opened, and Zeb entered the _Ghost._ "Just received some news. The Blue Spirit is confirmed to be on Tatooine."

Hera dashed to the cockpit. "Prepare for takeoff!"

Ezra landed the _Gauntlet_ outside of Mos Espa and grabbed Kanan's mask, placing it on his head in lieu of the Blue Spirit's mask. Then he grabbed his comlink. "K, you there?"

The voice that responded was wary. _"Who is this?"_

Ezra emerged from his ship and turned his face to the heat of the suns. "And old friend. We need to meet."

His contact sighed. _"Look, Ezra. As happy as I am to hear from you, the Empire is starting to crack down pretty hard on this world. I can't-"_

Ezra began walking towards the Force Signatures in the town. "I'm sure the Imperials don't know you're here. Besides, they aren't looking for me."

Silence reigned on the comm for a minute, before the other sighed. " _I'm near the Cantina. Head inside, and I'll contact you."_

Ezra nodded. "Thanks." He put away his comm and used the Force to find the largest concentration of life-forms, which was the building in the centre of the town. That would be the Cantina.

Focusing on each life-form as he walked through the town, Ezra smiled slightly as he located his quarry. Stepping inside the Cantina, he headed for the lone booth at the back of the building and took a seat. "You're supposed to be dead."

The man laughed. "From what I hear on Imperial comms, so are you."

Ezra smiled and removed his mask. "Good to see you, Jai."

Jai Kell stood and embraced Ezra. "Good to see you too." They returned to their seats, and Jai looked around. "Where's the rest of your crew?"

Ezra gave a small smile. "They had another mission. But this is important too."

Jai leaned forward. "So what is it?"

"I need you to identify something for me." He pulled the holo-disk out of his bag and handed it to the other. "I need you to identify the people on this recording."

Jai leaned back in his seat. "So I'm slicing into Imperial property?" He grinned. "I'll take it back to my place. Comm me if you have any problems."

Ezra stood. "Will do. Thanks, Jai."

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

 _"Any leads?"_

Sabine shook her head as she gazed onto the streets of Coruscant. "Nothing." She sighed. "If he was here, it wasn't recently." Ducking into an alley as a squadron of stormtroopers marched down the street, Sabine stowed her comm and readied her blasters, praying she wouldn't have to use them. Day by day, she was growing, and it would soon become a liability.

One of the troopers shone a light into her alley, and Sabine tensed, almost sighing in relief as he moved alone. Unconsciously tightening an arm around her midsection, she holstered her pistols. Yeah, this would be her last mission for a while. There were more important things to think about.

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

"Did you find out who the other person was?"

Jai shook his head. "No." He dropped his data pad and turned to Ezra. "And I'm not going to either. Not until you tell me what's going on."

Ezra turned to him, a hardened expression on his face. "The Empire destroyed the Rebellion, and that video is the only proof that what remains of the Rebellion is backed by corrupt officials in the Senate."

"I don't care about any of that." Jai leaned forward. He handed Ezra another data pad, this one showing images of the Blue Spirit. "I want to know what happened to you. Why you're doing this alone."

All fight drained out of Ezra, and he dropped into a chair. "The Empire took something from me." He looked down at his hands. "Her name was Sabine Wren. And I need to make them pay."

Silence reigned for a few moments, before Jai picked up the data pad. "Actually, I did find out who the other person was." He handed Ezra the data pad. "His code name is Tresky. Works as a bounty hunter."

Ezra stared at the picture. It was the same person who had killed Sabine. "Any affiliation?"

Jai shook his head. "Not officially. But he has a calling card of sorts."

Ezra put the data pad down, dreading what he would hear. "What is it?"

Jai was silent for a few seconds. "Two inches above the heart. People who tended to those shots reported that they died in agony."

Forcing back images of Sabine, Ezra nodded, standing. "Do you know where this guy is now?"

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

Ezra looked into the fire. "From there, I was directed to the Senator. Where you found me."

Sabine slowly nodded, taking it all in. "So everyone you killed was a traitor?"

Ezra nodded. "I verified everything they told me." He looked away. "But I ran into some trouble with gangs."

Sabine looked at him. "Who are they after? Ezra Bridger, or the Blue Spirit?"

Ezra gave a small smirk. "As far as I know, the Blue Spirit." Slowly, he took Sabine's hands. "I promise you, no harm will come to you or Caleb as long as I am alive."

Sabine smiled and kissed him. "I believe you." She stood. "Come on, let's go to bed."

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

"My Lord?"

 _"Anakin, all I ever wanted was your love!"_

Vader turned and regarded Admiral Piett. "The Jedi all but extinct now. The time has come to destroy the Rebellion."

Piett nodded. "And the captive?"

 _"You turned her against me!"_

Vader returned to staring at the stars. "Send him to Mustafar."

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

 **I). Lurmen are the natives of Mygeeto. Something I was rather surprised to learn.**

 **II). Jai Kell, in the last half of S4 at least, felt like an obnoxious teenager, so I figured he had done something to make the Empire retaliate. Like how Mart and the others were stupidly reckless. Anyway, he escapes, but the Empire thinks he's dead.**

 **III). In Canon, Vader is obsessed with Padmè, so I figure he's constantly replaying their final conversation in their head. As for the captive headed to Mustafar, I'll let you figure that one out...**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Judge**


	28. Fallen

**Thanks to Ezrabine fan28, Xertib and Guest for the feedback!**

 **Ezrabine fan28: I didn't go _that_ far. Even with all of Sabine's training, I don't know if she could hold her own against and Ezra that was truly out for blood, one that showed no mercy. Unless you want this story to end with just a broken Ezra, we can't go that route. **

**Xertib: I don't know if he's channeling the Dark Side currently, but there are some shadows of the past that have returned because of the darkness he displayed before. One pops up in this chapter...**

 **Guest: Ezra was at his scariest when he made that AT-DP pilot kill himself. Oddly enough, I think the only other time he kinda returns to that persona is when Thrawn threatened Sabine in 'Family Reunion and Farewell'. Hmmm...**

 _ **Spoilers for Jedi: Fallen Order and Clone Wars Season 7.**_

 **Enjoy!**

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

Ezra ducked under the blade, rolling and Force-Pushing his assailant into a pile of snow. "You have yet to land a hit."

Sabine fired her repulser, sending Ezra into the opposite pile of snow. "Rather not have Cale lose a parent."

Ezra smiled and gently lifted Sabine towards him, setting her down next to him, lying in the snow. He accepted his lightsaber from her and gently kissed her. "I would have stopped if I thought you could kill me."

Sabine leaned to face him and frowned. "The lightsaber wasn't even on low power mode."

Ezra nodded and sat up. "You have to let go of your fear."

Sabine sat up as well. "I don't fear anything."

Giving her a soft smile, Ezra stood. "Yes, you do." He half-turned to face her. "You're afraid of losing me; of losing Cale. You have to control your fear; otherwise it controls you."

Sabine scoffed. "Of course I'm afraid of losing you! I lost you for seven months, I never want to go through that again."

Ezra's expression softened. "You won't." He promised. "We're safe with your family."

"Commander Bridger!" Tristan ran up to him, a grin on his face as he sarcastically bowed. "Countess Wren requests your presence."

Ezra scoffed as he grabbed his mask. "Thank you, _Captain_." He clapped Tristan on the back as the trio began walking back to the main compound. "Any idea what this is about?"

Tristan shook his head. "No. But she seemed worried."

Sabine touched Tristan's arm. "Did she seem mad?" She grinned up at Ezra as her younger brother shook his head. "Well, she likely won't kill you today."

Ezra gave a small smile as the blast doors opened. "That's good news, at least."

As they entered the Throne Room, Ezra bowed at the waist. "Countess Wren."

Ursa chuckled. "I do believe I asked you to call me Ursa?"

Ezra straightened. "Sorry. Old habits die hard." He took a step forward. "Tristan said you wanted to speak with me?"

"Indeed." Ursa stood and grabbed a holo-projector. "This came for you."

 _"Commander Bridger."_ Ezra tensed. He knew that voice. It was Kei Larson. " _You will surrender yourself to me, or I will find the remainder of Phoenix Squadron, and kill them. I know exactly where they are, and what they have been doing for the past year. Just to prove to you that I am not bluffing,"_ The sound of a blaster pistol firing and a body falling had Ezra tensing. _"Come to Dathomir. I will be waiting, Jedi."_

The holo-gram dissipated, and Ezra turned his head to Sabine. "Who did he kill?"

Sabine's voice was shaking. "Mart." She slipped on her helmet. "Mother, we are leaving for Dathomir. We-"

"No." Ezra shook his head. "I'm going alone. You're staying here to look after Cale."

"Ezra, I won't be sidelined just because I'm a mother!"

Ezra reached up and removed his mask, staring at Sabine. "It's not that. Any other planet, and I would welcome your help. But Dathomir-" He ran a hand across his face. "Last time you were there, you were nearly consumed."

Sabine narrowed her eyes. "But I have you this time."

Ezra closed his eye. "If I couldn't protect you then, then I won't be able to now." He smiled sadly. "You think you're the only one afraid that Caleb will lose a parent?"

After a moment, Sabine nodded, scowling. "You had better come back alive. Or I will kill you myself."

Ezra chuckled and replaced his mask atop his head. "Seems reasonable."

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

 _"We could walk that path together! As friends!"_

Ezra closed his eye, trying to forget the last time he was on Dathomir. Maul was gone, merely a memory.

 _"As brothers!"_

An unfortunately persistent memory.

Landing the _Gauntlet_ in a clearing, Ezra exited the ship, reaching out with the Force for anything dangerous. It _pinged,_ and he rolled to the side, narrowly dodging a blaster bolt.

Kei strode forward, firing as he went. "Surprised you actually came. Figured you didn't have the honour."

Ezra pulled out his lightsaber, deflecting the bolts. "You're threatening to kill my friends. I have no choice."

All of a sudden, Kei stopped firing, blaster dropping from nerveless fingers. He fell to his knees, face contorting in agony. Ezra took a step forward, when a harrowing voice rang out:

 ** _"You will leave this planet!"_**

Ezra slowly backed away, focus fixated on Kei, who was writhing in pain. "Who are you?" A figure appeared in front of him, whom Ezra recognized as a Nightsister. "I will leave, you have my word. I just need to finish this."

The woman eyed his lightsaber. "You are a Jedi?" Ezra nodded, and she relaxed, still holding Kei with the Force. "My husband is a Jedi. We met here."

Ezra lowered his lightsaber. "I didn't know there were any Nightsisters left on Dathomir."

"There aren't." The woman turned to Kei. "A transmission from this Imperial mentioned my planet, and Cal thought it best to return."

Ezra frowned. "Cal?"

The woman's eyes fixed behind him, and Ezra turned to feel the heat of a lightsaber blade staring him in the face. "What are you doing here?"

Ezra returned his lightsaber to his belt. "You must be Cal. I'm Ezra."

The blade didn't waver. "How did you get a lightsaber?"

Ezra handed it over. "I made it with the help of my Master."

The blade activated for a moment, before Cal returned it. "Your Master, who was he?"

Ezra took off his mask, staring at the bearded man before him. "Caleb Dume."

"Depa Billaba's Padawan." After a moment, Cal's blue lightsaber switched off, and he held out his hand. "Cal Kestis."

Ezra smiled and took the hand. "Ezra Bridger." He turned back to Kei and the Nightsister. "What are you going to do with him?"

The Nightsister smiled. "Kill him. His kind brought an end to my family, and to Cal's. Leaving him in any other state would be too great a mercy."

Ezra nodded and regarded the Jedi behind him. "What have you been doing since the Purge?"

Cal looked down. "Hiding, mostly. We attracted the attention of the Emperor's Enforcer a few years ago, and we've just hid since then."

Ezra's eye widened. "You escaped Vader."

Cal nodded. "Must be him. He wasn't any ordinary Inquisitor." He lifted his comlink. "Cere, we have company."

The response was instantaneous. _"Good company, or bad company?"_

Cal smiled. "Good. Another Jedi."

 _"Another survivor?"_

Ezra shook his head. "The Padawan of a survivor."

The comm was quiet for a moment. _"He's welcome aboard."_

Cal nodded and looked at Ezra. "My ship will be here in a few minutes." He grabbed Ezra's arm and led him away from the Nightsister and Kei. "You don't want to watch this part."

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

"Spectre Five to Spectre Six, are you there?"

Soft screaming was heard as Ezra answered his comm. _"Hey, Spectre Six. I think Kei is finally finished."_

Sabine smiled sadly. "That's-that's good." She lowered her head. Kei had saved her life back when she was in the Mandalore Academy, and he had once been a friend. Despite what he had become, there was a part of her that had wanted to redeem him. "You seem happy."

 _"I found someone. Another survivor. I'm going to see what he's been doing all this time."_ There was a pause. _"Spectre Six, out."_

Sabine sighed and laid her comlink back onto the table. "He's going to be a few more days."

"You seem distracted." Ursa appeared at her side, holding a mug of _Shig_ tea. "I imagine if I asked you what Ezra had told you, you couldn't tell me."

Sabine looked up and accepted the tea. "I'm trying to make sure we haven't been tracked."

Ursa sat down beside her. "If anyone had tracked the Blue Spirit to Krownest, we would have been informed long before."

Nodding, Sabine lowered her data-pad and sighed. "You're right." She glanced at her comlink. "I hope Ezra finds whatever he's looking for."

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

"Welcome to the Mantis."

Ezra stepped inside the S-161 and stopped, focusing at the woman sitting on the couch. "You're a Jedi." He closed his eye, focusing on the Force. "Or, used to be one."

The woman nodded and stood. "My name is Cere. You've already met Cal." She gestured to the couch. "Have a seat."

Ezra sat down and turned his head to Cere. "What is your team's mission?"

"Right now?" Cal's voice came from behind Ezra, and he shifted his awareness. "We're trying to find out more about Vader."

Ezra stood. "I can help you. I've faced him before."

"So did I." Cal laughed. "Wasn't really a fight."

Ezra's gaze darkened. "You can't fight Vader." Subconsciously, he touched the remains of his right eye. "You can only run."

 _Surrender the boy to me or die, Jedi._

Ezra abruptly turned to the 'fresher. "I'll be back in a minute."

 _Now you will die like a Jedi!_

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

"Sabine!"

Sabine ran into the Throne Room, keeping a careful eye on her mother's expression. "What is it?"

Ursa turned to her, fear in her eyes. "A V-19 Starfighter has just landed."

Sabine's eyes widened. "It has to be the Empire." She glanced at Tristan. "How many star fighters are there?"

Tristan shook his head. "Only the one. We've jammed their comms, but no attempt has been made to communicate."

Sabine scowled. "That's not usual protocol. The V-19's can only hold one passenger, so whoever it is, they're alone."

Tristan slid on his helmet and grabbed his blaster. "Let's go find out, shall we?"

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

Ezra stared at his soldered right eyelid in his reflection, then closed his left eye, hoping to see anything other than the constant darkness.

Nothing.

After a moment, Ezra grabbed his mask and placed it back on his head, banishing all thoughts of his partial blindness to its cage. He had never mentioned anything to Sabine, though he suspected she knew, but he had tried in vain to use the Force to restore his vision. There was nothing but a sense of hopelessness, considering the reason he was blind was dead.

Opening to door to the refresher, Ezra focused on Cal, who had been joined by the Nightsister. "Do you guys have a base?"

Cal shook his head. "No. The _Mantis_ acts as our base, as well as our home, but we don't have a specific location we journey to."

The Captain, a four-armed Latero, snorted. "It _used_ to be a home for all of us, but then these two," he pointed at Cal and the Nightsister, "decided to keep us up at night!"

Cere smacked his arm. "Captain!" She admonished, turning her gaze to Ezra. "The _Mantis_ is our base, but why do you ask?"

Ezra slowly sat down on the couch. "My base is much the same, which means we are mobile. If I gave you my comm frequency, would you come if we required assistance?"

All eyes turned to Cal, who nodded. "So long as you do the same for us."

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

Tristan stopped a few meters behind Sabine and levelled his rifle at the V-19 cockpit. "I'll cover you."

She nodded and unholstered her pistols, taking a step back as the viewport opened, and a cybernetic monster wearing modified armour that Sabine's viewfinder identified as dating back to the Clone War stepped out. "I come in peace."

Sabine levelled her pistols at the…thing. "What are you?"

It laughed. Not a sadistic laugh like those she was used to, but a genuine one. "Ah, sorry. Forgot how others see me." It removed their helmet, revealing a clone trooper, one that seemed to be the same age that the other clones would have been during the Clone War. "My name is Echo."

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

 **Chapter Notes!**

 **I). I really enjoyed the main story of Fallen Order. But I think one of the things I enjoyed most were the subtle moments between Cal and Merrin. They obviously like each other, something I hope will be explored in the sequel. So I took that idea and jumped fifteen years to where this story is taking place.**

 **II). Ezra being partially blind, as important as it is to his arc, I never really explored how he feels about it. Sure, he's afraid of everyone else's reactions, hence him using Kanan's mask, but I never delved into what he himself thinks about it. My entire view on the Dark Side and how it affects you is complicated, and nowhere near short enough for a Chapter Note. PM me if you want to start a dialogue.**

 **III). ARC Trooper Echo, as far as I know, his arc ends at the end of the Bad Batch series. Does he execute Order 66? Seems convoluted to spend a third of a season finding the guy, only for him to betray the Jedi six months later. He definitely gets explored next chapter.**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Judge**


	29. Pieces and Plans

**Thanks to dssax000, Guest and hellothere209 for the Feedback!**

 **dsax000: I have at least one arc featuring the Mantis crew. Cal's usage of psychometry is a fun power to write about, specifically as it applies to Ezra and everything he's hiding.**

 **Guest: Thanks for your review! I never actually thought about that. Thanks for the suggestion!**

 **hellothere209: I needed something big to get Ezra to Dathomir, so I figured a sacrifice would do the trick. Out of everyone, Mart was the least expendable, so it had to be him.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

History lessons from long ago rang through Sabine's mind, and she took a step back. "ARC Trooper Echo?" She asked in disbelief. "How are you even still alive?"

Echo shrugged, the one arm that bore a computer-interface arm clanking slightly. "During the War, I was captured by the Techno Union. They removed my inhibitor chip, fearing I would be able to somehow contact the Republic. So I didn't turn on my General when Clone Order 66 was issued."

Tristan lowered his rifle. "All Clones age at twice the rate of humans." He looked at Echo. "How are you not the same age as Captain Rex?"

Echo chuckled. "During the final months of the War, I was rescued from the Techno Union by Rex and General Skywalker. After, I joined an experimental unit of clones, but the Techno Union kept on searching for me. They eventually found me, and put me in stasis freezing. I only recently got out."

Sabine nodded and holstered her pistols. "So, why are you on Krownest?"

Echo lowered his head. "Rex rescued me from the bunker the Techno Union stashed me in-a bunker now controlled by the Empire. He got me out, but was captured by Vader."

Sabine whirled and ran towards the Compound. "Come on! We have to call Ezra!"

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

Ezra slid underneath Cal's feet, swinging his lightsaber at the other Jedi's back, nodding as Cal blocked by pointing the hilt down his back. "Nice lightsaber."

Cal grunted as he pushed Ezra back, then rolled to the side. "It was my Master's."

Ezra raised his arm to strike, but was suddenly aware of the fact his arm was moving slower than normal. After a moment, it wore off, and Ezra slammed his off-hand into the ground, pushing Cal back a few feet. Taking a moment to focus, he ducked as one saber split into two, and Ezra used the Force to throw Cal into a tree. "You have two sabers."

Cal nodded as he stood. "Cere gave me her old one. One half is hers, the other half is my Master's. Unchanged." He charged Ezra, using the Force to slow the other Jedi down.

Calling on the Force to break through, Ezra locked sabers with Cal and twisted, positioning himself so his blade was at the others throat. After a moment, they switched off their lightsabers, and Cal laughed. "Nice one. Caleb Dume taught you well."

Ezra nodded. "He did." He grabbed his mask and held it in his hand, looking at it. "He taught me almost everything I know." His comlink beeped, an Ezra raised his arm. "Spectre Five?"

Sabine sounded out of breath. "Rex was captured. Vader took him to Mustafar."

Ezra's eye widened and he glanced at Cal. "I'll see if we can head over there now." He paused. "Stay safe, Sabine."

The call ended, and Cal nodded. "We can assist you." He began moving towards the _Mantis._ "I'll let my team know."

Stopping to briefly hug the Nightsister, Cal slipped inside, and Ezra smiled at her. "Thank you for dealing with Kei. He has been a problem for my crew for many months."

The Nightsister smiled back. "I am aware of such pests. My home was once besieged by such a scourge."

"Oh?" Ezra leaned forward. "How did you deal with that pest?"

Cal laughed as he rejoined the woman outside. "The same way she dealt with Kei." He kissed her cheek. "She's protected us for years." Growing more serious, he faced Ezra. "We'll help you. But it will take a while to chart a course to Mustafar that avoids Imperial Patrols."

The Nightsister nodded and stood. "Come, Ezra Bridger. I wish to see if you can truly fight."

Ezra frowned as he stood. "You want me to fight you?" He glanced at Cal, who was chuckling. "What am I walking into?"

Cal smirked. "If you haven't fought a Nightsister yet, you're in for a surprise."

Ezra hesitantly returned to the sparring field, and Cal used the Force to reach for the other Jedi's mask. The muted green didn't match with the rest of his orange attire, and that tipped Cal off. Merrin had agreed to distract Bridger so Cal could figure out if he was genuine, or just another Malicos.

Heading to the couch inside, he briefly stopped to sense where Bridger was, then sat down. Slipping into the Force, Cal tried his hardest to ignore his Master's shouts, the clones firing. Finding the light that matched Bridger, he pulled, letting a wave of memories wash over him.

 _Kanan, he blames himself for what happened._

 _Well, I don't._

 _I never blamed you, Ezra. It's time for you to forgive yourself._

There was a bright spot, and Cal gravitated towards that.

 _Kanan. I know what to say now. I love you._

 _It must be the truth serum._

 _No. It's me. All me._

 _This is the last time we're working with Maul!_

Cal's eyes snapped open and he gasped, the mask falling the ground. A moment later, Cere was beside him. "What happened?"

Cal shook his head and moved Ezra's mask to where he left it. "Ezra and his Master once had a run-in with Maul. It looks like they worked with him."

Cere scowled. "Maul." She shook her head. "Did you find anything else?"

Cal stood and grabbed his lightsaber. "Well, he's no Malicos. His Master, Kanan Jarrus, did train him in the Force."

Cere's scowl deepened. "I don't know that name."

"It was an alias." They turned to see Ezra leaning against the doorframe. "My Master was Caleb Dume before Order 66. After that, he took on a new name. Kanan was the name I knew him by." He grabbed his mask with the Force. "And as for Maul," he turned his eye to Cal, "how do you know him?"

 _"A Nightsister? Oh, how intriguing."_

 _"Merrin! Let her go!"_

 _"Is this love, I sense? I thought such a thing was forbidden by the Jedi. Are you still a Jedi, Cal Kestis?"_

Cal shook the memory away. "We fought him a few years ago. He captured Merrin."

Ezra frowned. "The Nightsister?" Slowly, he nodded. "Makes sense. He said Dathomir was his home."

"So how do you know Maul?" Cere sat down and looked at Ezra. "You don't seem the type to work with him."

Ezra lowered his head. "I don't want to talk about it." He turned towards outside. "But it wasn't willingly."

Once he was gone, Cere turned back to Cal. "Cal?"

He nodded and grabbed the mask, closing his eyes.

 _Where's Ezra?_

 _You mean, my apprentice?_

 _Kanan!_

Cal opened his eyes momentarily. "Maul did something to Kanan."

 _He's not your apprentice._

 _Yet…_

"Maul was trying to turn Ezra, but Kanan was his rock."

 _Look, I can't see anything! Not anymore!_

 _No! You are unwilling._

 _Are you saying there's a way to restore my vision?_

 _Your sight cannot be healed. But I can teach you to see. If you're willing._

Cal sighed and lowered the mask. "Kanan was blinded by Maul. And-"

"Maul blackmailed us to assist him." Ezra used the Force to grab his mask. "I don't recall allowing you to touch this."

Cal stood. "I'm sorry, Ezra. But we've had run-ins with fallen Jedi before. Wanted to make sure you weren't one."

Ezra sighed and glanced at Cere. "Are we ready to head to Mustafar?"

She nodded. "Better strap in."

Cere and Cal returned to the cockpit, and Ezra pulled out his comm. "Spectre Five, we're on our way to Mustafar. We'll meet you there." He was silent for a moment. "And bring Kanan's lightsaber with you. We may need it."

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

Sabine nodded. "Okay, Six. We'll synch up with Zeb and Kallus." She paused. "Love you."

 _"Love you too. Spectre Six out."_

After informing Ursa about the plan, Sabine headed over to Hera's quarters. In a show of gratitude for saving Sabine's life, Ursa had given Hera temporary quarters, something rare for any non-Mandalorian.

Sabine was about to knock on the door when she heard voices. "-I don't know what to say, Senator. I'm so sorry."

" _At least a piece of Han will live on."_ It was Senator Organa. But why would she be contacting Hera? " _I was wondering if you had any advice?"_

Hera sighed. "Honestly, Senator, I'd recommend stepping away from the Rebellion. Stress is not a good thing at this time."

" _Thank you, Hera. I have to get back to work, but-"_

"Anytime."

Satisfied the call had ended, Sabine knocked on the door. "Hera, we have a mission."

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

 **Chapter Notes!**

 **I). I know we don't know everything about ARC Trooper Echo's story, but it seems likely to me that the Techno Union removed his inhibitor chip. It just doesn't make sense for one of the final arcs of the Clone Wars to be about rescuing a trooper, only to have said trooper turn on the Jedi six months later.**

 **II). Something I've noticed is that Cal Kestis seems to be a very offensive fighter, while Ezra Bridger is more defensive. After all, Kanan was pretty good at Makashi; you'd think he would practise with Ezra. Defence usually beats offence in Star Wars (ie: Obi-Wan vs Anakin)**

 **III). Come on, there is no way Cal and Merrin never met Maul. The last Nightsister, who grew up to hate the Jedi, and the Nightbrother who lost his whole family to the Sith, and who has a strong hatred of a certain high-ground loving Jedi. They had to have crossed paths at some point. And I can't imagine that Cal got along with Maul.**

 **IV). So, Leia called Hera. About...?**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Judge**


	30. Just Survive Somehow

**Thanks to Guest, Xertib and V for the feedback!**

 **V: In regards to the timeline, I'm working on constructing a chain of events. I _did_ kind of let it get away from me, and I intend to fix that. At some point. Hopefully.**

 **This chapter is shorter than most, but it sets up an arc I'm really proud of. I guess this is where Avatar: The Last Airbender really bleeds through.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

"We shouldn't be here." Greez shook his head as they descended onto Mustafar's fiery surface. "This is the home of Darth Vader! We should be running as fast as we can!"

Ezra made his way to the boarding ramp. "You guys can just drop me off then. My team's coming; they can help."

"No way." Cal stopped beside him, lightsaber ready. "Vader needs to be taken out anyway."

Ezra glanced at him, shocked. "There's no way we can take out Vader. We're going in, getting Rex, and leaving. If we encounter Vader at all, we fail."

Cere nodded gravely. "Window opening in five, four, three, two, one! Go!"

Ezra and Cal leapt off the _Mantis_ , free-falling towards Vader's castle. Glad he brought his helmet, Ezra tuned it to the _Ghost's_ frequency. "Spectre Six to Five! Approaching insertion point!"

Sitting at the table on the _Ghost,_ Sabine was carefully monitoring the situation. "Copy that, Six, you're all clear." She turned to Hera and gave a nervous smile. "Here's hoping they stay that way."

Echo, sitting at the other end, nodded. "They'll contact us if they run into trouble." He chuckled. "Although General Skywalker never seemed to." Sobering, he looked at Hera. "General, I think it's best if I remain on your ship during this mission."

Hera reluctantly nodded. "I can understand you not wanting to fight."

"Fight? Echo stood and laughed. "Oh, I intend to fight. But it wouldn't do to rescue the Captain, then have to mount _another_ rescue mission just to save me. Besides, you could use some covering fire, I imagine. I can man the aft turret."

Hera smiled. "Very well, ARC Trooper Echo. We'll be arriving in an hour. Best familiarise yourself with how the turret works."

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

Rex glared at the impassive figure. "This is who you are now, General?"

Vader took a step forward and raised his hand. "You will surrender the names of your Rebel conspirators."

Rex chuckled. "Don't bother, General. I was trained to resist Mind Tricks, you saw to that. Remember Teth?"

Vader was silent for a moment, then raised his fist. "If you do not cooperate, you will die."

"And how would you feel?" Rex sighed. "I remember my General risking his life to save mine. My General, who would punish himself over the casualty list after every mission. Every trooper was his friend, every member of the 501'st counted him as a brother." He leaned forward the best he could in his shackles. "What happened to you, Anakin?"

The lights began to flicker as Vader took another step forward, breathing growing slightly unsteady. "That name no longer holds any meaning for me."

Rex laughed. "No, it's the name of the man you once were, the one who you've buried under Vader." He frowned slightly. "It's not too late. You could come with me, and we could bring back the Republic. Leave behind the Empire and the guilt you face everyday. Fight for something _right_ again!"

Without a word, Vader left the room, and Rex scowled at the two stormtroopers that took his place. "My armour was far better."

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

Hybrid blaster at the ready, Ezra led the way, reaching out with all his senses. "So far, nothing." He felt for Cal briefly. "Anything?"

The other Jedi shook his head. "Nothing. I don't like it. The last fortress I stormed was crawling with troopers."

"Yeah." Ezra activated his comm. "Spectre Six to Four, I may need some assistance in a minute."

 _"Copy that, Six. Be there soon."_

Without warning, the doors seemed to seal around them, and Ezra and Cal stood back to back, activating their lightsabers. "I think it's too late."

Heavy breathing was heard, and a crimson lightsaber was ignited, painting the walls red. "You would be wise to run."

Cal swallowed. "Yeah." He glanced at Ezra, who backed up a pace, and nodded. "Probably."

Ezra charged, sliding under Vader's legs. He made to turn, but Cal Force-Pushed him forwards. "Go! Get Rex and leave!"

Vader strode forward. "We have yet to finish our duel, Jedi."

Cal let out a shaky breath and split his lightsaber into two, holding one in each hand. "Can't take a rain check?"

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

Ezra ran through the corridors, struggling to find Rex's Force Signature. This place was filled with the Dark Side; his senses were almost overwhelmed with pain and suffering.

Finally, he reached the room that held Rex and two Stormtroopers. Using the Force, he flung the two troopers into the ceiling and entered, smiling as he saw the old clone's face. "Rex!"

The captain grinned. "Ezra. You came." As Ezra used the Force to release Rex's manacles, he grabbed the troopers blaster rifles. "We need to get out of here."

Ezra lifted his wrist. "Spectre Six to Mantis Two, how's it going?"

Lightsaber clashes could be heard. _"Still alive, talk later Six!"_

Ezra began to run to where the sounds were coming from. "Come on! Cal needs us!"

He opened a corridor door, and without warning, the other Jedi was flung backwards, and Ezra ignited his lightsaber, taking a defensive stance as Cal shakily stood with the help of Rex. Together, they watched Vader approach, and Rex walked forward. "General, stop!"

To their amazement, Vader actually stopped, and Rex took another step forward. "Think of the man you were! My brother! I remember, General, how you were in the Clone War. You'd risk your life for even one of us! And now, look at you! You've turned into someone completely different! Is this someone Padmè would be proud of, Anakin?"

There was silence for the span of ten seconds, before stormtroopers ran up behind Vader and began firing at the trio. Using the Force, Ezra pulled Rex back. "Time to go!"

Rex set his jaw as he began returning fire. "He's still in there."

Cal and Ezra deflected, and the later turned his head to face Rex. "I don't think you'll reach him." He glanced at Cal. "Sword and Shield. Go!"

Both Jedi ducked, and Rex threw one of the bombs he had taken off the stormtroopers. "We don't have long; we have to go!"

Nodding, Ezra and Cal followed Rex, and Ezra lifted his comm. "Spectre Six to Spectre Five, we could really use an exfil!"

 _"Landing Bay Two. Look for all the blaster bolts."_

Cal grinned. "Thanks, Sabine." He turned to Ezra. "I felt something."

Without looking, Ezra deflected a bolt that was aimed for his back. "An Echo?"

Cal nodded. "Of Vader. Before the suit. Fighting someone on this planet."

 _You were my brother, Anakin!_

 _I hate you!_

Ezra sighed. "Great. Now that we know what fuels Vader's pain, we'll never have the chance to save him."

Cal nearly chuckled. "You seriously think that can be done?"

Ezra thought back to Hoth. "Luke did. He believed that no one couldn't be redeemed." He glanced at Cal. "I guess that goes for Vader too."

Rex grunted. "Cut the chatter, you two. We're almost there."

Entering the Landing Bay, Ezra could see that Merrin, Sabine and Cere were outside the _Mantis_ , returning fire to the squads of Stormtroopers attacking them. Outside the Bay, the _Ghost_ was providing supporting fire, with Zeb, Echo and Chopper using the turrets. Upon seeing the trio, Cere lifted her comm and spoke, but she was too far away.

As focused in getting Rex to the ship as he was, Cal didn't notice Ezra wasn't with them until they had arrived, then turned to see the other Jedi, unable to move, stormtroopers surrounding him. On impulse, Cal grabbed Sabine, right as she noticed the state of her husband.

"Ezra!" Sabine struggled and broke free of his arm, trying to run to him. "No!

Ezra, using his last remaining strength, threw her his lightsaber. "Get out of here!" He used the Force to lightly push Sabine away. "GO!"

He watched as Cal helped Sabine on the ship, and breathed a soft sigh of relief. Being captured, he could handle. Having both him _and_ Sabine captured?

Just as the Mantis took off, heavy breathing was heard, and Ezra turned to face Darth Vader. _When you can't make it, fake it._ "So, who talks first? I talk first? You talk first?"

Without a word, Vader turned to enter his castle, and a Death Trooper stopped in front of Ezra and butted him with his rifle, knocking the Jedi out cold.

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

 **Chapter Notes!**

 **I). You ever wonder if Rex discovered what happened to his former General? That'd be tough, maybe even for Vader.**

 **II). Cal's psycometry is really fun to use, as it allows me to further explore planets pasts.**

 **III). You win some, you lose some. Ezra being in the hands of Vader is far worse than Rex, because The Jedi had a connection to Rex. The Jedi and Vader have none to Ezra.**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Judge**


	31. Redemption Story: Part I

**Here's Judge; providing you with entertainment during your COVID-19 lockdowns. Stay safe, everybody!**

 **Thanks to Spectre6 for the Feedback!**

 **Spectre6: I can understand that. The 'rescuing one character only to have another be captured' is never as well liked as other story arcs. But, it _is_ all building up to something, and I hope you will like where it all leads. **

**So, it feels like a hundred chapters ago I said I had a clear end point to this story. Unfortunately, that end point is no longer clear. See, the original plan was to end it with Ezra disappearing after defeating Kei, then coming back twenty or so years later during the conflict with the First Order. But then Fallen Order came out, and I could not resist. Maybe I'll make that ending to be an April Fools chapter or something down the line, because this story keeps going.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

Ezra groaned and slowly opened his eye, staring into the soulless lenses of Vader's mask. "I take it you don't talk first."

 _What's our plan of attack, Sir?_

Underneath the mask, Vader scowled. "You risked your life for Skywalker, yet ultimately he died. How does that make you feel, _Jedi_?"

 _Follow me._

Ezra grinned toothily. "Kept him from you for that much longer. Worth it."

 _You…are the Chosen One. You…have brought balance to this world. Stay down this path…and you will do it again…for the Galaxy._

 _But beware your heart._

Impassively, Vader folded his arms, noting the slight flinch Bridger gave. "You fear me."

The boy nodded. "Most people do."

 _I don't fear you._

 _Then you will die braver than most._

Vader stepped aside, and an IT-O droid floated in behind him. Ezra visibly cringed. "There's-there's no need for such crude implements here!"

Vader started, a distant memory from The Jedi finding its way out of the cage.

 _There is no use for such crude implements here. I have a gift for you._

 _I've had enough of your trickery!_

With the wave of his hand, Vader sent the droid back out of the room, letting The Jedi out of his cage for once. On Mustafar, a thousand memories burned within him, but this wasn't one of them.

 _Oh, but you will like this one, I promise._

A quick, but highly reluctant, search of The Jedi confirmed that this wasn't either of their memories. So what…?

 _What if I could show you the future?_

A small part of Vader was aware of Bridger staring at him, but the Jedi was the furthest thing from his mind. Whose memories where these?

 _Know yourself! Know what you will become!_

Without any further word, Vader left the interrogation chamber, leaving the Jedi alone in the dark.

 _I will do such terrible things!_

 _Yes. But it doesn't have to be that way. The choice is still yours to make._

 _Will we bring peace?_

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

Sabine glared at Cal. "My husband is in there with Vader, and you want to _hold off_ on rescuing him?"

The Jedi sighed. "Sabine, it doesn't feel right. I'm afraid that, if we go in, something worse will happen."

Sabine set her jaw. "So you're abandoning him?" She scoffed. "Well, I won't." She looked towards the cockpit. "Cere!"

The pilot sighed. "Sabine, I agree with Cal. If he says the Force is against this, then I think we _should_ hold off. At least for right now, just until we get a better handle on things."

Glaring at the wall, Sabine reluctantly sat down in the commons, and Cal turned to the former Jedi. "I can't be certain, the Dark Side is too thick here, but something seems to be happening in Vader's Castle."

Cere frowned. "Something good?"

Cal shrugged. "I'm not sure. All I can do is trust the Force."

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

Ezra shuddered, feeling the Dark Side in this place tear at his soul. The number of Jedi slain here called out to him, asking him to join them, or at the very least, for vengeance.

He turned his head to the side. "Sabine…I'm sorry."

A wave of dark energy lingered at his throat for a moment before, abruptly, his shackles were released, and Ezra dropped to the floor with a groan, picking himself up and rolling to the wall closest to the door in the same motion. Narrowing his eye, Ezra stretched out his senses, feeling for how many guards were between him and an exit.

None.

Concentrating harder, Ezra tried to locate Vader, but found nothing. No Dark Presence, nothing at all. Opening his eye, he stared at his hands. "Is this a vision?"

A simple command came to him, floating down from the Force: _Run_

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

Smiling, Cal opened his eyes. "Greez, we can head down now!" Heading to the cockpit, he stopped to sit beside Sabine, who was staring intently at the holoprojector. "We're going to get him, Sabine."

She looked up, anger still in her eyes. "You had better hope it's not too late."

Cal nodded and slipped into the cockpit, taking his seat next to Greez. Agitated, the pilot turned to him. "Mustafar twice in one day? Even I know that's bad odds, Cal."

Behind them, Cere smiled. "Well, you'd know about bad odds, wouldn't you?"

Before the two could get into another bickering contest, Cal held out his hands to placate the pilot. "I'm just following the Force, Greez."

The Lateron scoffed. "Right. Last time you _followed the Force_ , I nearly got cut in half by an angry Dathomirian!"

From the commons, Merrin's voice came over the comms. _"I would appreciate it if you did not link my people with Maul. We are not the same."_

Greez sighed. "Sorry, Merrin." He looked at Cal. "I'm just saying, Maul was bad enough. But Vader?"

Seeing the Castle in the distance, Cal stood. "Just trust me, Greez." He patted the pilot on the shoulder. "I'd like to think I've earned it by now."

Stopping beside the landing gear, Cal was surprised to find Sabine next to him, blasters primed. "You realize there's a chance we might not make it out of there?"

She nodded, slipping her helmet on. "I'm not going to abandon Ezra. I'm coming with you."

As the landing gear retracted, Cal ignited his lightsaber. "Fair enough."

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

Ezra flattened himself against the wall as the sounds of a TIE Fighter passed overhead, but continued as the sound slowly faded. Hoping it was just a standard patrol, he slowly opened the door that led outside-to be met by a blue lightsaber blade.

He took a sharp step back, looking into the faces of Cal Kestis and Sabine. "Hey, guys."

Running to him, Sabine enveloped him in a hug. "I was so worried."

Smiling, Ezra pressed a kiss to the lining of her neck. "I'm glad you came." He nodded to Cal. "Thank you."

Cal returned his lightsaber to his belt. "We had reports of a TIE Advanced leaving the system. That would have been Vader's TIE. I'd like to get out of here while we still can."

Ezra nodded, accepting his lightsaber from Sabine. "Then let's go."

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

The TIE Advanced left hyperspace, and Vader stared at the watery world of Kamino, a torrent of memories from Anakin finding their way.

 _Master, the battle is up here, not down there._

 _You weren't planning on leaving without saying hello, were you?_

 _Actually, I plan to let the clones executer you._

Landing the TIE on the single-ship landing platform, Vader strode in to Tipoca City, rain falling off his helmet as he entered the Cloning Facility. Prime Minister Lama Su smiled nervously. The last time Vader had been here, the cloning facilities had been shut down. "My Lord?"

"Prime Minister." Vader's voice, while sounding the same due to the built-in moderator his helmet carried, lacked it usual bite. Lama Su was all the more frightened because of it. "I have need of your services."

Lama Su frowned. "My Lord?" He gestured to the nearby chairs, and watched nervously as Vader sat. "How can I assist you?"

Vader was silent for a few moments before beginning. "Are your cloning facilities still operational?" At Lama Su's nod, he continued. "If you were given genetic material, could you grow a clone?"

The Prime Minister almost scoffed, but thought better of it. "My Lord, if you want, we could grow thousands of clones in a matter of days. Twenty years with no one needing our services have granted us time to refine our process."

Vader stood. "Just the one. Unaltered." He handed over a pressure canister. "This is one of the few genetic samples of the host I could locate."

Lama Su studied the inscription on the canister and frowned. "Anakin Skywalker?" He studied Vader for a moment. "Why have you brought this to me?"

Once again, Vader was silent for a moment before answering the question. "I am Anakin Skywalker." He admitted. "And I wish to be free of this suit."

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

 **Chapter Notes!**

 **I). Truthfully, I do wonder if, had Anakin remembered the visions he had on Mortis, how might things have changed. And, ultimately, that's what this fic is, how one action changes everything. Is it realistic that, had Ezra Bridger utter similar words to the Son Anakin would have been reborn? Maybe not, but that's the fun of this story, right?**

 **II). Hopefully, Spectre6, you like this ending better than the previous. If not, then, I am sorry. There's an arc involving a dark Ezra and KotOR content coming up, if you want something along those lines?**

 **III). Now, the chapter title being Redemption Story should give you something to chew on. Vader won't become Anakin right away, nor will he earn the trust of the Rebels right away. Which is where Avatar: The Last Airbender really comes in. Think of Ezra as Aang, Sabine as Katara, and Anakin as Zuko, for those familiar with the show.**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Judge**


	32. Redemption Story: Part II

**Thanks to OechsnerC, V and Spectre6 for the feedback!**

 **Spectre6: Good. I'm glad that you're still here with us. As for Ezra the Bridge, that was a connection I myself never made. But it makes sense, when you look at it from that angle.**

 **V: Yes, kinda. See, the Empire has tried everything to erase Jedi from public knowledge, so Ezra was going to use that to** **disappear** **. And then Fallen Order came out, and here we are.**

 **Everyone seems excited to see Anakin** **fulfill** **his destiny as the Chosen One, but ask yourself: what does it mean for the Force to be balanced? The Jedi had the thought that meant the eradication of the Dark Side, but you need both Dark and Light for balance. I don't feel that the Dark Side is evil. The** _Sith_ **are,** **certainly** **, but from a certain point of view, the Son on Mortis was actually trying to save the galaxy from Vader and the Emperor.**

 **I may get flak for this, but think of it as a debate. Start a** **dialogue** **. What if Anakin _did_ balance the Force in Episode III? Think about it. By the end of the movie, there are two Jedi, and two Sith. Some would say a _balance_ of Jedi and Sith. Then in Episode VII, Vader dies, leaving the Emperor, a Sith, and Luke, a Jedi. _Balance_. From that viewpoint, the Force at the end of Episode IX is out of balance, because all that remains is Rey, a Jedi. **

**Once you think of it that way, the Force becomes very fascinating. But that's the thought I want to leave you with today, what does balancing the Force truly mean?**

 **Enjoy!**

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

Ezra stumbled onto the _Ghost_ and accepted a hug from Hera. "Thank you for coming back for me."

Hera smiled. "As if we'd leave you behind." She returned to the cockpit. "Where are we headed?"

Ezra looked at Rex, who was talking with Echo. "Captain? Thoughts?"

Rex stood and headed to the cockpit. "I have a few suggestions. Planets the Empire has forgotten about."

As he left to talk to Hera, Ezra lifted his comm. "Spectre Six to Mantis One, we're taking off." He was silent for a moment. "I owe you my life."

 _"Think nothing of it, Six. You'd have done the same for me."_

Ezra smiled. "Yeah. We'll contact you when we have a new base set up. Stay safe."

 _"You too. May the Force be with you. Mantis One, out."_

Ezra sat down with Sabine as the _Ghost_ lurched into hyperspace. Smiling, he leaned into her. "I'm going to be glad when all this excitement dies down."

Sabine smiled and wrapped an arm around him. "I know. I'm excited to call Mother and see how Cale's doing."

Ezra grabbed his comm again. "Hera, I just had an idea." He locked eyes with Sabine. "One I figured I'd talk to both of you about."

Hera appeared from the cockpit. "What is it?"

Ezra gave a sad smile. "Right now we can't see Cale. Not with everything happening. Especially not with Vader maybe on our tail. And I know you haven't seen Jacen in a long time."

Hera slowly nodded. "I-I know."

Sabine frowned. "You want to move Jacen to Krownest?"

Ezra nodded. "I do. Figured he may as well do with family nearby." He smiled at Hera. "Besides, I imagine Krownest if far more secure than Ryloth."

Hera couldn't help the grin that spread over her face. "I imagine." She grabbed her comm. "I'll see if Father can't help with this." Heading towards the cockpit, she stilled for a moment. "Thank you, Ezra."

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

 **One Month Later:**

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

"Spectre Six, this is Mantis One." Cal glanced over at his crew. "We're arriving."

The comm responded instantly. _"Copy that, Mantis One. Welcome to Kamino"_ There was silence for a moment. " _Any sign of him?"_

Cal sighed. "Nothing. Cere's been keeping track of Imperial messages from Mustafar. Nothing regarding you or Vader."

 _"See you down here. Six, out."_

Cal nodded and looked at Cere. "You okay?"

The former Jedi nodded. "I'll just be glad when this business with Vader is over." She chuckled morosely. "I kinda liked our life in obscurity."

Cal turned and looked at the planet of Kamino. "That's no way to live. That's who I was on Bracca, and I'm glad we're done with it."

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

Sabine activated Kanan's lightsaber, swiping at Ezra while she rolled under his legs and brought the blade to bear behind his neck. "Yield!"

Ezra grinned and flipped over her head, using the Force to off-balance her. When she turned around, he threw the lightsaber, but missed her by a few inches. While the blade was out of his hand, Ezra rushed her, ducking under Kanan's blade and putting Sabine in a headlock. Before she could get out of it, his blade returned, and Ezra held it under her neck. "Yield."

After a moment's struggle-in which Ezra used the Force to freeze the hand that held Kanan's lightsaber, Sabine nodded. Letting go, Ezra returned his lightsaber to his belt and smiled. "You did far better that time."

Sabine rubbed the back of her neck. "I didn't realise you threw your lightsaber as a distraction. I really thought you had missed me."

Ezra chuckled and accepted Kanan's saber from her. "If you were an Inquisitor, I'm not sure that move would have worked. By throwing my lightsaber, I became defenceless. If someone was trying to kill me, all they would have to do is throw their saber too, and actually hit me."

"Really?" The duo turned to find Cal leaning against the side of the _Mantis._ "Care to test that theory?"

Sabine smiled and took Kanan's lightsaber from Ezra. "I'll return this to his room." She pressed a quick kiss to Ezra's cheek. "Don't be too hard on him."

Ezra chuckled and activated his lightsaber, circling his opponent. "You know, this would have been fairer if I hadn't spent half an hour training in the rain with my wife, right?"

Cal shrugged. "Try facing an Inquisitor _then_ Vader a few seconds later. Not fun." He activated his own saber. "Are we going to talk or train?"

With a roar and a lunge, Ezra leapt at Cal, swiping quickly at his defences. Amidst blocking, the other Jedi frowned. In the half-dozen duels Ezra and Cal had shared, the former Jedi had always been a defensive fighter, something he had picked up from his Master. Ezra's style was to wait for his opponent to make a mistake, then go on the offensive.

Never before had Ezra gone into the offence immediately into the sparring match, seemingly with an intent to kill. It was something-

Eyes widening, Cal rolled away from Ezra, slowing him down with the Force while he went down that train of thought. It was something that a Dark Sider would do. And Ezra had been captured down on Mustafar, the place where Jedi go to die. Granted, he hadn't been down there long, barely a day, but the Force moved quick. Maybe that was why Vader didn't interfere. Maybe-

Blocking another attack, Cal inflicted slowness on Ezra again. Maybe some of the darkness from Mustafar was still inside Ezra.

Suddenly switching off his lightsaber, Cal Force-Pushed Ezra to the side of the _Ghost_ and closed his eyes, straining to hold him there. After a moment, Ezra stopped fighting, and Cal let go. "Something's wrong?"

Ezra nodded, picking up his fallen lightsaber. "I feel it too." He locked eyes with Cal. "It's the Dark Side."

Cal scowled. "But that doesn't make any sense. The Dark Side has to be _let_ in. It can't take control of a person. It can't-"

"I let it in."

Cal stopped and stared at Ezra. "What?"

The other Jedi smiled mirthlessly. "A few months ago, I thought Sabine had been killed. So I went on a rampage, killing anyone who I thought was a part of that mission. I did some pretty bad things, and I gave in to my anger."

Cal scratched his beard. "And the Dark Side was amplified on Mustafar." He eyed Ezra warily. "You can't go on any missions."

He nodded. "Agreed. I'd be putting the others at risk." He glanced down at his saber. "No more sparring sessions either. I'd rather not kill you."

Cal nodded. "Appreciated." He started towards the Cloning Centre, where everyone was for the time being. Rex had suggested Kamino as a temporary base, seeing as the Empire had no use for it _._ "Come on, we have to tell the others."

They stepped into the base to find Sabine pointing her pistols at someone sitting in one of the chairs. "I was just about to call you."

Ezra regarded the prisoner. "Who are you?"

The man lifted his head, sadness evident in his eyes. "Anakin Skywalker."

In the same movement, Ezra activated his lightsaber and looked at Sabine. "Get Hera." He pointed his saber at the fallen Jedi. "Why are you here, Vader?"

Anakin lowered his head. "I cast off Vader." He smiled mirthlessly. "I was warned about this a few decades ago, but that time was erased. If it wasn't, I might never had become Vader."

Cal activated his own lightsaber. "So why come to us, knowing we'd be the last people in the galaxy to believe you?"

Anakin looked down at the lightsaber in hands and lifted it towards Ezra. "You can kill me if you want. I won't offer any resistance."

Ezra took the saber and studied it. "This…this is Luke's!"

He nodded. "My son's." He lowered his head, and Ezra could swear he saw a tear roll down his cheek. "The Emperor killed him while I was fighting Han Solo. The Emperor claimed he saw a vision where Luke turned me back to the Light."

Ezra clipped Luke's lightsaber to his belt and shifted to the side as Hera and Sabine ran up. "He gave us permission to kill him."

Sabine scoffed and unholstered her pistols. "As if we need it."

Hera sat down opposite the Jedi and narrowed her eyes. "You must have known what would happen if you came here, so why come at all?"

Anakin was about to speak when Rex walked in. Simultaneously, both of them flinched, and Rex lifted one of his pistols. "General?"

Anakin swallowed and nodded at Rex. "Rex. I-I wanted to thank you. You helped save me." He looked back at Hera. "I came here to fix some of my mistakes."

Sabine laughed bitterly. "You have a _long_ way to go before that's finished."

Anakin looked at her. "I know. And I _am_ sorry. I tried to kill you on Lothal. If your armour was anything but Beskar, you'd be dead."

Ezra looked at Anakin. "You blinded me."

Slowly, the former Jedi nodded. "I did." He lifted his hand. "I'd like to make it right, if I can."

Slowly nodding, Ezra shifted forward, wincing automatically as Skywalker's gloved hand cupped his broken eye. Anakin closed his eyes, and Ezra could feel something enter him, and gasped as long dead nerves began to tingle.

After a moment longer, Anakin removed his hand and smiled. "Open your eye."

Almost daring not to breath, Ezra slowly opened his right eye, blinking several times as information that had avoided the eye for months was now being processed, overwhelmingly at first. Softly, Ezra looked at Anakin with tears in both his eyes. "Thank you."

Anakin smiled and stood, gesturing to Rex. "Captain. Looks like you've seen better days."

Rex chuckled, rolling his shoulder and grimacing at the audible cracks. "Getting old, General." He scoffed. "Anakin."

Skywalker smiled. "Can't be having that." He gestured to a lone room off to the side of the cloning chamber. "I asked the Kaminoans to prepare something else, something I think you'll like."

Both Anakin and Rex stepped into the room, and the door closed. An audible exclamation of excitement from Rex was heard, and then silence for twenty minutes.

Finally, Anakin walked out alone. "Rex will be with us in a few minutes. He just wanted to get some things ready."

Half an hour later, Rex stepped out, resplendent in the armour he had worn during the later half of the Clone War, his face looking what it had been decades earlier. He smiled at Ezra. "Reporting for duty, Commander."

Everyone stared at Anakin, who smiled. "Something I learned is that the Dark Side isn't inherently evil. The Sith are, they twist the Dark Side to their own purposes, but the Dark Side is necessary for balance." He gestured to Rex. "I transferred his Life Essence to an unaltered clone."

Hera looked at Ezra, then at Rex, and holstered her pistol. "I can't say I trust you, or that I'll trust you for a long time, but you've gone a way to prove that you are genuine." After a moment, she held out her hand, which Anakin accepted. "But know that we'll be watching you."

Anakin smiled gratefully. "I understand, General Syndulla. I won't fail." His eyes hardened. "Not again."

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

 **Chapter Notes!**

 **I). Thanks to V for suggesting it in a comment, but Ezra's** **experience** **on Mustafar has changed him. If we go back further, the Blue Spirit started the change, and it's going to become a recurring factor in this next arc.**

 **II). I do wonder why the Empire stopped using clones. Apart from their awesome uniforms, they had just proven they could be controlled to take out their Jedi Generals and friends. Why change it? Could it be that the Emperor didn't want any reminders of Anakin for Vader?**

 **III). Anakin may or may not buy into my philosophy on the Light and Dark Side. At least he puts it to some use.**

 **IV). So, Rex is young again. If I'm being honest, that was something I was hoping for in Rebels. I could even picture it. They had introduced Dathomir in the show, and Mother Talzin had once healed Maul of similar problems.**

 **V). Ezra's eyesight is something I may get yelled at, as there were several approving commenters when I blinded him. But, if I think about it, I can't name a story where Ezra gets blinded, then gets _healed_ from that blindness. Besides, Force Healing is a thing, as Baby Yoda has shown us. And how else am I to get you all to trust Anakin? This is the way.**

 **I'm serious about that dialogue bit. I'd love nothing more than to have a discussion with some of you about how the Force works. I don't claim to know all the answers, but I do find it fascinating.**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Judge**


	33. Redemption Story: Part III

**Thanks to OechsnerC, united88 and hellothere209 for the feedback!**

 **united88: Yeah, that makes sense. I just always found it odd that the Empire went from loyal clones, to FN-2187 and Inferno Squad. Imagine if clones had continued to be used? Well, actually, there might have been more of those defectors.**

 **hellothere209: Welcome to the wagon! We have cookies! And whatever the light side offers. Lemon wafers? The nature of the Force is fascinating to me, more so because we view the Saga from the viewpoint of the Jedi, who definitely aren't biased at all definitely. The Jedi believe balance means no darksiders, only light. Which isn't balance, is it?**

 **Enjoy!**

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

Anakin frowned slightly as he listened to the argument in the next room. As much as he didn't want to get involved, he could still hear it, and it sounded like Ezra was defending him to Sabine. Sighing, he inspected his newly cut hair and opened the fresher door, catching the end of Ezra's sentence.

"-he's not our enemy!"

Sabine folded her arms. "I once thought the same thing with Kei, and look how that turned out!"

Nodding at Rex, who returned the gesture, Anakin leaned against the fresher wall, trying not to remember the past.

 _"We'll…divide the 501'st! We'll promote Rex to Commander and have him lead the new division! Ahsoka can got with him as an advisor._

 _That's what friends are for._

 _Master Kenobi says there's no such thing as luck._

 _Good thing I taught you otherwise._

Shaking the memories away, Anakin refocused on the argument.

Ezra nodded. "I know. Believe me, I know. But think of Ketsu. You and her once fought; we considered her an enemy! But-"

Sabine reluctantly finished his thought. "But she joined our side."

Ezra gestured excitedly to Anakin. "Exactly! And with _him_ on our side-"

"Is he?" Sabine shot a glare to Skywalker. "Are you? On our side?"

Anakin nodded. "I know you all have no reason to trust me. I know my actions have destroyed the lives of many, and that I will spend the rest of my life seeking atonement that will never come." He briefly glanced at Rex, who adverted his eyes. "I'm not asking for forgiveness. Not yet. But the Emperor has to be stopped."

Hera, who had stayed silent thus far, glanced at the former Jedi. "How?"

Anakin sighed. "I'm not yet strong enough. It's my destiny, but I need to balance myself first before I can balance the Force. The darkness in me has to be purged before I am of any use."

Rex stepped forward. "So, what are you suggesting, General." He shook his head. "Anakin."

Anakin gave a small smile. "The only idea I have is a bad one." He glanced at Rex. "GL-537."

As Rex shook his head in bewilderment, Ezra leaned forward. "What is it?"

Anakin's smile fell. "Ezra, listen to me. The idea I have is dangerous. It's too dangerous."

"Even for you?" Ezra gestured to himself and Rex. "You healed my eye. You helped Rex become young again. What can't you do?"

Sabine scoffed. "Not fall." At everyone's-minus Anakin's-stare, she scoffed and stood. "I'm done here. I'm going to my room."

As the doors closed, Anakin nodded. "I deserve that. And a lot more, if we're being honest." He looked at Rex. "If you wanted to go with me on my mission, I wouldn't oppose."

Rex sighed and grabbed his helmet. "Retrieve the mask of Darth Revan. Somehow that's the least crazy thing I've seen today."

Ezra sat up straighter. "Darth Revan?" He asked excitedly. "The ancient Jedi!"

"Well…" Anakin scratched the back of his neck. "Kinda. Revan didn't always adhere to the light."

Hera frowned. "So you want us to help you retrieve a _Sith_ artifact?"

Anakin folded his arms. "Some Sith relics carried the Force Essence of their wielders. Revan was a force for good, but his dark spirit lingered after his death. Wreaked havoc on the galaxy."

Hera shook her head. "I can't approve a mission like that. Kanan mentioned something like that. Said that the spirit inside the vessel could possess the user."

Anakin looked down. "I am aware there are risks. That's why I wanted to go alone. If I fail, no one of any importance dies."

"And you create something worse than Darth Vader!" Hera stood. "I won't allow a mission that threatens everyone here. I'm sorry."

Anakin nodded. "I'm not so sure how good an idea it was anyway." He looked at Ezra. "Care to spar?"

Ezra looked uneasy, and Anakin nodded to himself. He had been expecting something like that. "Rex, care to watch Commander Bridger and I spar?"

Rex chuckled and slipped on his helmet. "Anytime, General. I may even give the Commander a run for his credits with fighting someone more skilled than stormtroopers."

Ezra smiled at Rex. "I can beat you anytime, Captain."

Rex laughed. "Experience outranks everything, Ezra." He stood. "Let's go find out how skilled you really are."

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

Hera was inside the _Ghost_ , absently watching Anakin and Ezra spar, with Rex taking shots every so often. Normally she'd keep a keener eye on the pair, but Sabine was avidly watching them. That and the person she was talking to had big news.

 _"Hera, you have to tell her."_

Hera shook her head. "If I tell her, Sabine will go straight back home. When she finds out her people are gone, she'll become Ezra."

 _"I understand. One vengeful rebel dealt enough damage. But she_ has _to know."_

Hera sighed. "I just…don't know how to tell her."

 _"Unfortunately, everyone who may have known is gone. Bo-Katan, Fenn Rau, all dead."_

Hera lowered her head. "I am sorry for your loss. I know you were close with Bo-Katan." She closed her eyes briefly. "I'll tell Ezra. He'll know the best way to break it to her."

 _"Good luck, Hera. May the Force be with you."_

Hera turned back to the holoprojector. "You too, Ahsoka."

As the hologram dissipated, Cal Kestis entered the room. "Afternoon, General." He looked out the viewport at the rain. "Or night. It's hard to tell here."

Hera gave a wan smile. "How's Anakin doing with fighting?" She had seen Cal fight Skywalker briefly. "Any concerns?"

Cal shook his head. "Not really. If there is a darkness in him, he's not letting it consume him." He paused, regarding Hera. "You're not going to tell her, are you?"

Hera whirled around. "What?"

Cal gave a sad smile. "My Master was once friends with a Mandalorian warrior. That warrior contacted me, desperate for help. She said the Empire had begun to crack down on Mandalore. That was three weeks ago." He peered out the viewport at Sabine. "I tried to contact her today, but there was no response."

Hera sighed. "I don't know what to do."

"I do." Cal handed her a datachip. "I had Cere slice into the Imperial Network. They have an operation coming up. Its codename is 'Night of a Thousand Tears'."

Hera inserted the chip into her data pad and skimmed the contents. "They're going to destroy Mandalore…"

Cal nodded grimly. "We have to go. I can contact Fulcrum, see if the Rebellion can spare some assets." His gaze shifted over to Sabine. "But she has to know what you're going in to."

Hera sighed and touched her comm. "Spectre Two to Spectre Five, I need you in the _Ghost_."

After a moment, Sabine picked up. _"Alone, or is Six and Rex able to come?"_

Hera glanced at Cal, who shrugged. "They can come."

Once they were all onboard, Hera handed Sabine the data pad. "Mandalore is under attack. We-"

Sabine looked up. "This is more than an attack, Hera. The Empire is going to destroy my world just like they were planning to destroy Lothal."

Ezra, who was reading over her shoulder, nodded. "We can't let that happen." He looked at Hera. "When are we going?"

Hera glanced at Anakin, who was waiting in the commons. "Now. But if we're going to be of any help, we have to put aside all of our mistrust with one another." She eyed Sabine. "We _all_ have to work together."

After a long silence, Sabine frowned. "I'll work with him, but that doesn't mean I trust him."

Hera nodded. "That's good enough for now." She stood. "Grab any gear you need. We leave in ten."

Ezra watched with concern as Sabine marched out of the cockpit, anger written on her face. "This might be a problem."

Cal, who had just finished relaying the details to the _Mantis_ , joined him. "They'll work it out."

Anakin stood as Sabine joined him. "Sabine." He could feel her anger in the Force, and decided to be cautious. "I've been helping Ezra, and-"

"You might have everyone else here buying your transformation." She hissed. "But not me. So let me tell you something right now." She took a step closer to him. "You make one step backward, one slip-up, give me one reason to make me think you might hurt Ezra, then you won't have to worry about your destiny anymore. Because I'll make sure your destiny ends right there and then. Permanently."

She turned around and stalked past Rex, who was just entering the ship. Perturbed, the Captain stopped beside his former General. "What was that about?"

Anakin sighed. "The truth."

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

 **Chapter Notes!**

 **I). Sabine harbours more animosity towards Anakin, and a part of that is because of Hoth. Anakin-as Vader-blinded Ezra, and Sabine can't see past that.**

 **II). So, the Night of a Thousand Tears. Online Fandom link that event to the Siege of Mandalore, but I'm not so sure. In my head (I could be wrong) The Night of a Thousands Tears took place at the end of the Great Purge, which changed everything for Mandalorians. Moff Gideon says Siege of Mandalore, but then he also says gunships with cannons decimated Mandalorian recruits. Doesn't really sound like the Republic. So I had the idea, what if the Empire continued the Siege of Mandalore? And here we are. Again, could be completely wrong.**

 **III). I was watching the new episode while working on this, so the latter half of this story looks familiar. Anakin and Ahsoka rushing to Mandalore to save the planet from some evil being wielding the darksaber.**

 **Thanks for reading!  
**

 **Judge**


	34. The Road So Far

**Thanks to OechsnerC for the feedback!**

 **This is a very different chapter. A while back, I was asked about a timeline of events for this story. So I figured I would do a short chapter and recap everything that has happened. Because I'm not sure where the ens is for this story. With every Star Wars game or Clone Wars Episode, I find there is something new I can add to this.**

 **Think of this chapter as a supplemental. It's not necessary to enjoy the story, you can skip it if you'd like, it's just here for fun.**

 **So, without further comment, here's the timeline:**

 **Chapter One: In My Heart: O BBY**

 **Chapter Two: Shadow of a Spectre: O BBY (Concurrent with Rogue One)**

 **Chapter Three: Always in Motion: 0 BBY (Concurrent with Rogue One)**

 **Chapter Four: Where Joy and Sorrow Meet: 0 BBY (First half of ANH)**

 **Chapter Five: Where No One Goes: 0 ABY (Second Half of ANH)**

 **Chapter Six: Echoes: 0 ABY (Few days after ANH)**

 **Chapter Seven: Beyond the Grave: 0 ABY (Week after ANH)**

 **Chapter Eight: Fostering Feelings; Harbouring Hatred: 0 ABY (Three Months after ANH)**

 **Chapter Nine: Training Daze: 0 BBY (Six Months after ANH)**

 **Chapter Ten: What Lies Ahead: 0 ABY (Six Months after ANH)**

 **Chapter Eleven: A Grim Retreat: 1 ABY (Year and a half after ANH. First introduced to Kei Larson)**

 **Chapter Twelve: Misinterpreted Situation: I ABY (Year and a half after ANH. Sabine first mentions her feelings to Ezra)**

 **Chapter Thirteen: All Good Things: 2 ABY (Battle of Hoth: Two Years after ANH. Ezra is blinded in this chapter by Vader)**

 **Chapter Fourteen: Must Come to an End: 2 ABY (Week after Battle of Hoth: Two Years after ANH. Sabine can admit her feelings for Ezra to herself and Hera)**

 **Chapter Fifteen: For You Alone: 2 ABY (Two Weeks after Battle of Hoth: Two Years after ANH. Ezra and Sabine finally talk about their feelings, and kiss)**

 **Chapter Sixteen: Together as One: 2 ABY (Four Weeks after Battle of Hoth: Two Years, One Month after ANH. Ezra talks to Kanan, Thrawn reappears)**

 **Chapter Seventeen: Seeing Clearly: 2 ABY (Six Weeks after Battle of Hoth: Two Years, One Month after ANH. Ezra is confirmed to be blind in his right eye, Ezra and Sabine are in a relationship)**

 **Chapter Eighteen: With Love Comes Loss: 2 ABY (Six Weeks after Battle of Hoth: Two Years, One Month after ANH. A nightmare sequence that sees Ezra surrender himself for Sabine. Not Canon)**

 **Chapter Nineteen: Darkest Night: 2 ABY (Six Months after Battle of Hoth: Two Years, Nine Months after ANH. Ezra and Sabine take some time away from the Rebellion, a period which sees the duo get married, and a new Spectre be added to the group)**

 **Chapter Twenty: For Those Just Joining: 2 ABY (Seven Months after Battle of Hoth: Two Years, Nine Months after ANH)**

 **Chapter Twenty-One: Downward Spiral: 2 ABY (Seven Months after Battle of Hoth: Two Years, Nine Months after ANH. Commander Kei's exit from the story for a while, as Ezra and Sabine take measures to defeat him)**

 **Chapter Twenty-Two: Shot Down: 2 ABY (Seven Months after Battle of Hoth: Two Years, Nine Months after ANH. Luke's and Han's exit from the story at the hand of the Emperor and Vader)**

 **Chapter Twenty-Three: Pain and Sorrow: 2 ABY (Nine Months after Battle of Hoth: Two Years, Eleven Months after ANH. Sabine is shot, leaving Ezra to believe she is dead and goes on a rampage)**

 **Chapter Twenty-Four: Ways Forward and Beyond: 2 ABY (Nine Months after Battle of Hoth: Two Years, Eleven Months after ANH)**

 **Chapter Twenty-Five: Never Too Broken: 3 ABY (Year and Three Months after Battle of Hoth: Three Years, Five Months after ANH. Ezra and Sabine are reunited, and Ezra meets Caleb Wren, so named because Sabine didn't even know if Ezra was alive and was forced to use her last name)**

 **Chapter Twenty-Six: To Belong: 3 ABY (Year and Four Months after Battle of Hoth: Three Years, Six Months after ANH)**

 **Chapter Twenty-Seven: Darkness Descending: 3 ABY (Year and Four Months after Battle of Hoth: Three Years, Six Months after ANH. Vader, still reeling after discovering his son was killed by the Emperor, begins to have private doubts about what his Master told him about the nature of the Dark Side)**

 **Chapter Twenty-Eight: Fallen: 4 ABY (Two Years and Four Months after Battle of Hoth: Four Years, Six Months after ANH. Cal Kestis and the crew of the Mantis enter the story as main characters, and Kei Larson is killed)**

 **Chapter Twenty-Nine: Pieces and Plans: 4 ABY (Two Years and Four Months after Battle of Hoth: Four Years, Six Months after ANH)**

 **Chapter Thirty: Just Survive Somehow: 4 ABY (Two Years and Four Months after Battle of Hoth: Four Years, Six Months after ANH. Ezra and Cal break into Vader's Fortress to free Captain Rex, and Rex manages to get through to his old General)**

 **Chapter Thirty-One: Redemption Story: Part I: 4 ABY (Two Years and Four Months after Battle of Hoth: Four Years, Six Months after ANH. Ezra manages to inadvertently shake some memories of The Jedi out of Vader, who fully casts off the mantle of the Sith, becoming Anakin Skywalker once more)**

 **Chapter Thirty-Two: Redemption Story: Part II: 4 ABY: (Two Years and Five Months after Battle of Hoth: Four Years, Seven Months after ANH. The Ghost Crew and Mantis Crew make contact with Anakin Skywalker, who heals Ezra of his wounds and restores Rex's proper age)**

 **Chapter Thirty-Three: Redemption Story: Part III: 4 ABY: (Two Years and Five Months after Battle of Hoth: Four Years, Seven Months after ANH)**

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

 **I thought it might be interesting to give ages for everyone:**

 **Ezra Bridger: Twenty-Two years old**

 **Sabine Wren: Twenty-Three years old**

 **Hera Syndulla: Thirty-Four years old**

 **CT-7567 (Rex): Thirty years old (Clone body Anakin gave him. If you count the accelerated growth in his original, Rex is around Ninety-Eight (Twenty by the time of the Clone War, Twenty-Three by the time of Clone Order 66, Fifteen years in the desert, making him Thirty-Eight, another Five for ANH, Forty-Three, and than add five years for this fic. All that gives you Forty-Nine, which you then multiply by two. Ninety-Eight))**

 **Anakin Skywalker: Thirty-Three years old (The clone body he made. Technically, Skywalker is closer to Fifty-Three)**

 **Cal Kestis: Thirty-Seven years old**

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

 **Ezra's story: After losing his Master, Ezra is lost, unable to find purpose until Chapter Seven, where Kanan speaks to Ezra about letting go of the past. Ezra's resolve lasts until Chapter Thirteen, where Vader blinds him. Taking time to heal, Ezra momentarily rebounds during Chapter Seventeen, which then shatters upon being betrayed by Lando. Ezra and Sabine take time off in Chapter Nineteen for six months, which sees them get married. Chapters Twenty to Twenty-Three hammer at Ezra's state of mind until the end of Chapter Twenty-Three, where Sabine is shot. Thinking she died, Ezra goes on a rampage for six months, finally being reunited with Sabine in Chapter Twenty-Five. From there, Ezra goes to Dathomir and meets Cal Kestis, while Sabine meets ARC Trooper Echo and learns that Vader captured Rex. Reuniting to rescue him, Ezra and Cal break into Vader's Castle on Mustafar, only for Ezra to get captured, which inadvertently frees Anakin Skywalker. Chapters Thirty-One to Thirty-Three deal with the Redemption Story of Anakin.**

 **Sabine's story: After convincing Ezra to stay in Chapter One, Sabine finds that, after Kanan's death, she is the only one who is truly able to help Ezra deal with his grief. Grieving herself, Sabine and Ezra grow closer, and Sabine finds she has feelings for Ezra, but is unable to express them. Following the Battle of Hoth and Ezra's blindness, Sabine finally admits her feelings to Ezra, scared they will end up like Kanan and Hera, running out of time. Developing a relationship, Sabine becomes extremely nervous to let Ezra out of her sight, demonstrated in Chapter Seventeen. After getting married, Sabine starts to show signs of pregnancy, which happens to coincide with the deaths of Luke Skywalker and Han Solo, as well as the fracture of the Alliance. All of this puts a mental tax on Ezra, which culminates when Sabine is shot by a sniper. Saved by her beskar armour, Sabine tries in vain to locate Ezra for six months, giving birth to Caleb Wren in the meantime. Finally reunited, the duo move to Krownest with Caleb, but split up on separate missions a year later, leading to the discovery of Cal Kestis, and the redemption of Anakin Skywalker.**

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

 **In my head, there are (at least) three arcs, each with their own main villain. Kei Larson was the villain of Arc I, which concluded in Chapter Thirty. The main villain for Arc II is one I'm still ironing out all the bugs, but suffice to say it should be very interesting. Then the final villain (Be it Arc III or later (probably later)) would be Emperor Palpatine.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this supplemental; I certainly enjoyed creating a timeline of events. Next chapter will see us getting back on track with the story!**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Judge**


	35. Actual Spectres

**Thanks to V for the feedback on the Supplemental Chapter!**

 **V: I have a tentative plan to do supplemental chapters sporadically. Next one would likely be around Chapter 68 (Which we more than likely will reach, seeing as how my original plan has been scrapped, and I'm writing around a plan that changes with every review, it seems. Seriously. In Chapter 31, you made the comment of wondering if Ezra's time on Mustafar had effected his Force Ability, so I wrote it in, and it enhances a future arc. Keep it up!)**

 **So, to make up for the lack of content in Chapter 34, I figured I'd give you guys an extra long one. I'm particularly proud of this one, but you guys may very well hate me for it. Just remember that not everything is as it seems.**

 **Beginning of this chapter is a rehash of Chapter 33, but from Sabine's point of view.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

Anakin stood as Sabine joined him. "Sabine." He could feel her anger in the Force, and decided to be cautious. "I've been helping Ezra, and-"

"You might have everyone else here buying your transformation." She hissed. "But not me. So let me tell you something right now." She took a step closer to him. "You make one step backward, one slip-up, give me one reason to make me think you might hurt Ezra, then you won't have to worry about your destiny anymore. Because I'll make sure your destiny ends right there and then. Permanently."

She turned around and stalked past Rex, who was just entering the ship. Sitting down on the bench near the cockpit, Sabine ran a hand over her face and sighed.

Ezra sat down next to Sabine, taking her hand. "What was that about?"

Sabine scoffed. "Just letting the _Chosen One_ know where we all stand."

Ezra's expression was calm. "And how do we stand?"

Sabine glanced at him for a second. At his formerly destroyed eye. "We stand in rage. Anger. Ezra, he blinded you."

"And he healed me." Ezra gave a small smile. "Maybe I wouldn't have grown like I did if that had never happened." He looked at her. "But we've had this talk before."

Sabine stared at the durasteel floor. "Kallus was different." She mumbled. "I needed to determine if he was still a threat."

Ezra smiled. "And Kanan helped you with that, if I recall." He gripped her hand lightly. "And so did I."

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

 _Sabine narrowed her eyes as she watched Ezra debrief Kallus over the events that took place prior to the Battle over Atollon. Everyone was busy setting up on Rebel Command, but she couldn't let Kallus out of her sight. Just in case._

 _She ground a foot into the soft ground as Kallus said something that was presumably funny, given Ezra's laugh. She couldn't see how he could so easily forgive the person who had been after them for years. Who had tried for so long to destroy him. She scoffed._ He was just naive.

 _Kallus's face twisted in rage, and Sabine touched her holstered pistol, but it must have been a recounting of something the Grand Admiral did to him, as he continued, and Ezra kept on recording._

 _Some, like Hera, would call all this overcautious, but Sabine intended to find out where Kallus's loyalties truly lay. He could fool everyone else, but she would still be there to make sure his 'transformation' was everything he claimed it to be._

 _One wrong move, and she would kill him._

 _Slowly, Sabine returned her hand to her side, sighing as footsteps were heard. "What, Kanan? I'm busy."_

 _He chuckled. "I can see that." He stopped beside her and 'looked' at her. "I can feel your anger in the Force. Ezra probably can too."_

 _She nodded. "I figured." Ezra had become pretty good at interpreting her emotions. Sometimes, he helped. Other times, he was the cause of her emotions, and she didn't dare mention anything. Although she was sure he could sense them._

 _Kanan removed his mask from his head and regarded her with sightless eyes. "So, what are you angry about?"_

 _Sabine could feel her lips curl in a sneer. "Kallus. He-"_

 _"-hasn't done anything but help us since joining." Kanan smiled. "Even before then."_

 _"That's the problem." She muttered, casting a dark glance towards the two. "He can't be trusted after all he's done. I don't care what he says."_

 _"Sabine." Kanan laid a hand on her shoulder. "What's really going on?"_

 _She sighed. "He almost killed Ezra before-he's not getting the chance to do it again."_

 _Kanan was silent for a moment. "Look, Sabine. I know Kallus has done some bad stuff in the past, but so have you. So has Ezra. And you guys have turned out better than Hera and I could have hoped. Kallus might just be the same way." He smiled. "Besides, the Force is lending approval."_

 _Sabine scoffed. "The Force means less to me than it does to you, Kanan. I just don't trust Kallus."_

 _Kanan nodded and turned back to the_ Ghost _. "Is that your reason, or excuse?"_

 _Sabine turned to face him. "What?"_

 _Kanan chuckled. "You've been at Ezra's side non-stop since Atollon."_

 _Sabine shook her head. "T-That's not true. Hera and Ezra went to the other moon of Yavin for a mission, and-"_

 _"-and you couldn't stop pacing around the_ Ghost _in worry." Kanan faced her again. "You're in love with him, aren't you?"_

 _Sabine froze. "What?"_

 _Kanan laughed. "You're afraid of losing him. More afraid than losing this war. And it's blinding you so much you won't hesitate to take out the one person who defected and lost everything for us."_

 _She shook her head. "Kanan, I-"_

 _He smiled and put his mask back on. "There's no rush. Just be careful you don't run out of tomorrows." He tilted his head for a moment. "Ezra's finishing up. Come on, I think Hera's returning from her supply run."_

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

Sabine ran a hand over her face. "Kallus and Anakin are different. Kallus gave up everything to help us. Anakin _caused_ all that suffering."

Ezra nodded and continued her thought. "And gave everything up to atone." His gaze bore into Sabine's. "I trust him." He stood and kissed her cheek. "If we're to survive this, you may have to as well."

The _Ghost's_ comm beeped. _"We're arriving in the Mandalore system now."_

Ezra could sense Sabine's nervousness in the Force and rested a hand on her knee. "Whatever happens, we face it together."

Sabine gave a wavering smile and slid her hand into his own. "Together."

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

Rex, standing in the commons with Anakin and Cal, studied the holomap. "The main palace on Sundari is where Bo-Katan would most likely be." He studied the Jedi. "During the Siege, the final battle between Commander Tano and Maul happened there, as well as numerous other duels. It holds a significance to the Mandalorians and would be the first place the Imperials attack."

Anakin nodded and inserted a holo-chip into the Dejarik board. "From what I know, the Night of a Thousand Tears is when the Empire plans to decimate all military trained Mandalorians. Thousands of warriors and cadets." He pointed to a building in close proximity to the palace. "They would most likely hit the barracks first, so I'll see what I can do to protect it."

Cal nodded. "I'll take Ezra and Sabine and make our way into the palace itself, try and secure it."

Rex studied the map. "If this is going to be a long-term mission, we're going to need a staging point." He pointed to an open field a few klicks away. "Fulcrum and I can set up a base there."

Anakin glanced up. "Fulcrum?"

 _Sir, we've received a transmission from someone using your subspace frequency "Fulcrum."_

 _Hello, Master. It's been a while._

Rex nodded. "The Rebellion has taken your codename and has been using it to gather information on the Empire. One Fulcrum is assisting us here."

 _I won't leave you! Not this time._

 _Then you will die._

Cal nodded, grabbing his comlink. "I'll inform my team." He stepped away for a moment, relayed the targets and who was going where, and returned. "They want to know what they should do."

"You have a Nightsister on your ship, right? We-" Anakin momentarily stiffened, feeling pain and anger coming from the other room. "Something's happening."

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

They were approaching Krownest, but all Ezra could see was black where snow should be. Where once he could sense life, all that was left was death and destruction.

Ezra, seeing Sabine in a state of shock as they neared Krownest, activated his comm. "Ursa, come in."

Only static answered him, and Ezra drew in a sharp breath as the smouldering remains of the Stronghold were visible. "Ursa, come in!"

Still no answer, so Ezra lowered his comm and reached out with the Force, seeking any sign of life, anywhere.

But there was nothing.

Ezra slumped back in his seat and mutely took Sabine's hand, feeling her squeeze hard enough to break bones. But he hardly noticed, too immersed in what nothing meant.

It meant both Jacen and Cale were gone.

Struggling to breathe, Ezra shakily lowered himself to his knees and tried to meditate, tried to release his anger to the Force like Kanan had taught him. But there was _so much._ It had been growing ever since the Blue Spirit. And it _had_ been useful. Why was anger something to release anyway? It could-

A hand gripped his shoulder, and Anakin spoke. "You have to let it go, Ezra. Otherwise it _will_ consume you. _That's_ what the Sith are."

Nodding, Ezra slipped back into meditation, this time finding it far easier to centre himself. Finally able to release his anger to the Force, he stood, glancing at Sabine, who's jaw was trembling an anger. "Sabine…"

Abruptly, she stood. "I'm going down there." She decided shakily. "You can stay here with your new friend the Chosen One."

Ezra gasped her hand. "Sabine, don't. Stay here. We can-"

Sabine blinked back unshed tears. "There's nothing here to do except stare and hope for a different outcome. But he's _gone_." A tear did slip down her cheek now. "And I'm going to make them pay."

"Sabine-"

She shook her head. "I have to do this alone." For a moment, Ezra could sense the sincerity behind her voice. "If you join me, you might become what you were. And I can't lose Caleb _and_ you."

She let go of Ezra's hand and grabbed her helmet, jamming it on along with her jetpack. She cast one more glance at Ezra and moved to the loading bay door, pressing the emergency control panel to lower it.

"Sabine!" Ezra moved towards her, hands out. "Don't do this! Taking revenge isn't going to make you feel better, I know! It'll just make you feel empty!"

Sabine was silent for a minute and nodded. "Maybe you're right." She conceded. "I'll let you know."

She leapt out of the _Ghost,_ and Ezra ran to the door, intent on leaping after her when he found himself unable to move, trapped in the Force. "Let me go!"

Cal shook his head, hand outstretched. "No. You said it yourself, revenge is empty. You going down there accomplishes nothing but the potential reemergence of the Blue Spirit."

Ezra struggled in the invisible hands. "She needs me!"

Anakin moved forward. " _We_ need you! Ezra, we have a mission on Mandalore, we can't let the Rebels there down!"

Ezra shook his head. "I can't leave her!"

The words sent Anakin back:

 _Don't let your personal feelings get in the way! Follow that speeder!_

 _I need her!_

 _Come to your senses! What do you thing Padmè would do were she in your position?_

 _She would do her duty._

 _I don't know you anymore. Anakin, you're breaking my heart. You're going down a path I can't follow!_

 _Stop now, come back. I love you!_

 _LIAR!_

Blinking, Anakin closed the bay door. "If Sabine was here in a different situation, she would want you to focus on your mission. To help Mandalore."

Ezra scoffed. " _In a different situation._ My wife is grieving the loss of our son." He half-turned to face Anakin. "And you want me to stay away from her?"

From across the ship, seated in the commons, Rex stood. "I know how Mandalorians grieve. Wherever Sabine goes, death and destruction are sure to follow."

Ezra glanced at him. "So just like me. I thought Sabine was dead, and I couldn't handle it." He balled his fists for a moment, then relaxed. "I-I guess you're right. The innocents of Mandalore have to come first. Cale-" He closed his eyes. "Cale will have to wait."

Feeling the sadness and resignation in Ezra's Force Signature, Cal motioned for Rex and Anakin to leave the room, leaving the Jedi alone to grieve.

Rex glanced at Anakin. "I should head for Mandalore. With any luck, Fulcrum and I should have the landing site ready by the time the ships arrive."

Nodding, Anakin handed him his helmet. "Good luck, Captain."

Rex smiled briefly. "You too, General. May the Force be with you."

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

As the _Phantom II_ left and jumped into hyperspace, Cal closed his eyes and focused, reaching out with the Force. Sensing nothing from Hera, which might mean that she didn't know about Jacen, he sighed. _Best to keep it that way,_ he decided. Having Ezra and Sabine emotionally compromised was bad enough. They didn't need all the Spectres out of it during a battle like this. Not for the first time, he cursed Zeb and Echo's decision to stay behind and guard their base.

Activating his comm, Cal stepped into the fresher. "Rebound One to Mantis."

" _We read you, Rebound One."_

Cal could hear Greez snicker, something about stupid code names, but decided to ignore it. _"_ Spectre Five has left for Krownest. Change of plan is as follows. I will go with Rebound Four and secure the Barracks. Rebound Two, stay with Three and approach Point Dawn. Fulcrum and Phoenix Seven are working to secure it."

 _"Copy. And what do we do during the actual battle?"_

"Stay with Phoenix Seven and defend Point Dawn. If the Empire attacks, you'll be our only link to escaping." The comm beeped, and Cal sighed. "We're headed to Mandalore now."

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

 **Chapter Notes!**

 **I). Kanan appears again in this fic, but this time as a memory, and not as a Force Ghost. Because Kanan is my all time favourite Jedi, and I cannot get enough of him. His lines in RoS was literally all I cared about.**

 **II). As many have pointed out, the Night of a Thousand Tears would most likely have happened at the very end of the Siege of Mandalore. V pointed out that as soon as Clone Order 66 happened, the Emperor would have directed the clones to decimate the locals to cull any resistance, and I agree. It makes sense, which makes me very curious if we see the Night of a Thousand Tears in TCW.**

 **III). I came to the conclusion that Cal and his team going by Mantis One and so-on would get confusing if Cal had to communicate with the ship. So, I made the change to Rebound. Which, if you think about it, is the main plot of Fallen Order; Cal rebounding from Clone Order 66. Made sense to me. Greez may not share my fondness, though...**

 **Question for you guys: What's your view of Force Possession? In canon, Sith Spirits can corrupt an object and control someone who uses it, such as the Mask of Lord Momim. It has a sort of ghost possession feeling to it, and actually lines up really well with how I view the Sith, how they corrupt. Personally, I like it, but how do you guys feel?**

 **Comment in triplicate, please.**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Judge**


	36. Family Reunion and Destruction

**Thanks to Eznf98, Xertib, hellothere209 and OechsnerC for the feedback!**

 **Eznf98: Based on my research, it likely happened in the very beginning of the Empire. I had originally thought that The Night of a Thousand Tears was concurrent with the Galactic Civil War and the Great Purge, but further research (as well as the ever helpful comments) tells me it was likely the next step after Clone Order 66.**

 **Xertib: You like my darker timeline? Then you'll love this one. As for Thrawn, I did kinda forget about him, didn't I? We'll see where he pops up next.**

 **Hellothere209: Keep in mind that this sort of thing has happened before. Sabine's 'death' Ezra's nightmare. I try not to kill kids. Doesn't look good.**

 **So, I made a bunch of new code names in the previous chapter, and never explained who they were. So, here you go:**

 **Phoenix Seven: Captain Rex**

 **Rebound One: Cal Kestis**

 **Rebound Two: Cere**

 **Rebound Three: Greez**

 **Rebound Four: Merrin**

 **Fulcrum: Ahsoka (But we all knew that, right?)**

 **I don't really have one yet for Anakin. Suggestions?**

 **Enjoy!**

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

"Commander!" Rex shot a stormtrooper and fixed Ezra with a glare. "You need to keep your mind in the here and now." He fired again, and Ezra watched as another trooper fell. "I know you want to be with Sabine, but this takes priority."

A brush of Kanan entered his mind. _Ezra, focus. There's more at stake here than you know._

Ezra nodded and activated his lightsaber. "Where's Rebound One?"

Rex ducked behind the wreckage of a fallen LAAT/le gunship as blaster bolts surged around them. "We got separated!" He activated his comm. "Phoenix Seven to Fulcrum! Is Rebound One with you?"

 _"I have him. He's injured."_

Rex nodded. "Copy that! Spectre Six and I are pinned down on one of the bridges headed into the palace! We could use support!" He turned his comm off and began firing at the stormtroopers. "Ezra! We have to push towards the palace!"

Ezra grunted as he leapt out of cover, covering Rex with his lightsaber. "Any word on Anakin?"

Rex shook his head. "General Skywalker was supposed to protect the barracks, but he arrived too late." He lifted his comm. "Fulcrum, there may be a friendly headed to your position." He paused. "It's Anakin."

Only static responded.

Rex looked up at Ezra. "Try to raise Merrin."

Ezra nodded. "Spectre Six to Rebound Four, do you read me?" He glanced at Rex as static sounded. "Comms are jammed."

Rex nodded and fired at the incoming stormtroopers. "That means we're on our own."

Ezra took up defensive position behind Rex, blocking incoming fire from the stormtroopers coming the other way. "Hopefully Anakin is able to come help us at some point!"

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

Sabine fought to keep the anger under control as she stared at the Imperial Compound on Krownest. It hadn't been there the last time she was on the planet; which meant that the Empire had been preparing for this day for, at the most, five years. "Who's giving the orders?"

Her years at the Mandalore Academy taught her that commanding officers, at least most of them, were never on sight during a siege or battle, instead preferring to lead from a safe distance. Nothing like the Jedi of old, who would lead from the front-lines.

And, as far as Sabine had been able to piece together in the few days she had been here, that commanding officer was here, on Krownest. It was why the Wren Stronghold, along with everyone in it, had been destroyed.

Stuffing the pain of losing Cale in its cage, Sabine raised her rangefinder and activated her jetpack. Time to get payback.

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

Ahsoka regarded the Nightsister as she put Cal in a trance. "And you're sure he'll be okay?"

Merrin nodded. "This is an unfortunate routine. Cal pushes himself too far trying to defend us, and we meet here." Moving away from the Jedi, Merrin looked at the explosions happening across the horizon. "Captain Rex's report said he and Ezra were pinned down on one of the bridges. Bridger's Life Force is on the main bridge into Sundari."

"Then we'll have to move quick if we're to save him."

Eyes wide in horror, Ahsoka spun to face the man she'd never thought she'd see again, igniting her lightsabers. "What Sith Trick is this?"

Anakin took a step forward. "It's no trick, Ahsoka. It's me."

Ahsoka raised her lightsabers. "You're dead." She narrowed her eyes. "I felt you die."

"You felt _Vader_ die." Anakin looked down. "I'm not him any longer."

 _He has long been groomed for his role as my Master's new apprentice._

Ahsoka took a step back. "I can't take that chance."

She charged Anakin, swiping with her lightsabers, but he dodged. "I'm not going to fight you, Ahsoka!"

Ahsoka kept trying to hit him, until Anakin used the Force to grab her lightsabers. "It's me, Snips!"

"He's telling the truth." Cere rushed up, blaster pistol in hand. "He's on our side."

 _I won't leave you! Not this time._

 _Then you will die._

Ahsoka grabbed her lightsabers using the Force and returned them to her belt. "Maul was convinced you'd become Sidious's apprentice. He orchestrated the Siege of Mandalore to lure you and Obi-Wan there in order to kill you."

Anakin sighed. "He was right." He looked down at the ground. "I would have saved the Galaxy so much trouble if I had gone with you."

" _General, come in!"_

Anakin looked at his comm. "Rex?"

 _"Finally."_ The clone sounded relieved. " _Comm's were jammed, but Chopper broke through. Spectre Six and I are heading towards the palace, but we're pinned down. We could use assistance!"_

Anakin nodded and glanced at Ahsoka. "Fulcrum and I will head towards you."

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

Sabine slowly advanced into the Compound, blasters ready. Yet, strangely, the entire base was empty. Not a single stormtrooper anywhere.

Making her way into the Command Centre, Sabine froze as she spied a figure in the shadows of the edges. "Who are you?"

"I was hoping for Bridger." A lone Imperial Officer, an ISB Agent by the looks of it, stepped out of the shadows, a sneer written on his face. "Why are you here?"

Sabine raised her pistols. "He had a more important engagement."

The Agent chuckled. "Oh, I'm sure. If you are _here,_ then that means Bridger is currently on Mandalore's surface, trying to rescue the people." He smiled. "I'm afraid you are too late."

Sabine scoffed. "You might be surprised at what we can accomplish."

The Agent nodded. "Indeed. The liberation of an entire planet is not something that happens all too often, and I must admit it is most impressive." He narrowed his eyes. "You're not Bridger, that means you are the Mandalorian who defected from her proper place so long ago."

Sabine laughed bitterly. "You saying it was my _proper place_ doesn't mean it ever was. My place is with my family."

"Family is an important concept to Mandalorians." The man agreed, making Sabine's blood boil. "Sabine…Wren, is it? I must admit I'm not as familiar with you as I am Bridger."

"Why do you want Ezra?"

The Agent smiled. "The Emperor has come to view him as a threat. After losing Vader, he wants a new apprentice."

Sabine's hand tightened on her pistols. "Ezra would never join the Dark Side."

"Hasn't he?" Almost conversationally, the ISB Agent placed his blaster rifle on one of the nearby tables, and folded his hands behind his back, seemingly enjoying this. "Ezra Bridger nearly lost himself to the Dark when he thought you had been killed. Did he not go on a killing spree, justifying it with your death?" He chuckled. "And here you are, following his footsteps because you believe your son to be among those perished?"

Sabine's hand was trembling in anger. "Don't talk about Cale!"

"The Empire isn't as heartless as you may believe, Miss Wren. Killing children is beneath us."

Sabine lowered her pistol minutely. "You're saying my son is alive?"

The ISB Agent turned to look out one of the viewports. "The son of one of the most powerful Jedi's alive." He tilted his head to regard her. "Wouldn't you agree that he would make a most powerful apprentice to Lord Sidious?"

Breathing fury, Sabine fired, watching in horror as the bolt was deflected by a lightsaber that was all too familiar. "No…"

The ISB Agent stood facing her, the darksaber in his hand. "And here I thought we were having a civil conversation."

Sabine stepped backwards. "You…killed Bo-Katan…"

The man shrugged. "She was the leader of the Resistance. Although, the remainder of Mandalore will soon join her in death."

Sabine used her grappling line to grab the Agent's blaster. "Then I will avenge her death."

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

"Rex! Behind you!"

Rex spun, aiming at the two stormtroopers behind him and fired, watching as they fell. Then he returned to beside Ezra. "We're not going to last long out here."

Ezra grunted, alternating between deflecting shots, and firing with both his blaster pistol and lightsaber. More and more, however, he found himself being forced to keep his hybrid in blade mode. "Hopefully Anakin and Ahsoka get here soon."

An explosion sent one of the LAAT/le's to the ground, and Ezra grinned. "It's Sabine!"

Rex turned and watched the Mandalorian fly to the remaining Troop Transports and slash it with a blade. "And she has the darksaber!"

Moments later, Sabine dropped down into cover next to Ezra. "I'm sorry I left."

Ezra smiled at her. "You're here now." He deflected an incoming shot. "We have to get to the palace!"

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

 _What do you want with Anakin Skywalker?_

 _He is the key to everything._

 _To bring balance to the Force?_

 _To destroy._

Ahsoka regarded Anakin. "So, Maul was right about your destiny then. You did become Sidious's new apprentice."

Anakin nodded as he deflected incoming fire. "Things were happening too quickly for me to take a step back and think. I was acting solely on emotion." He sighed. "I was desperate to save Padmè, but I was also dealing with seeing you again. With being reminded of how I failed as a teacher."

"You didn't fail." Ahsoka used her lightsabers to cut down a charging riot trooper. "Just because the _Council_ deemed you unworthy doesn't mean you failed."

Anakin stared at the looming palace. "Only falling means that." He glanced at his comm. "Skywalker to Spectre Six, we're at the palace."

 _"We're a few minutes out. But this all may be a trap anyway."_

Anakin frowned. "Say again, Phoenix Seven?"

 _"Spectre Five came back with intel from an ISB Agent named Gideon. She claims this invasion of Mandalore was set up to draw the remaining Jedi out of hiding."_

Anakin blanched and looked at Ahsoka. "Everyone, fall back! Now!"

 _"General?"_

Anakin began sprinting back to Point Dawn and grouped everyone's frequency into one call. "Everyone prepare to leave, now! This was a trap set up by the Empire!"

 _"What do you mean?"_ Hera sounded concerned, at least.

Anakin began running harder. "The Second Death Star was just finished a few months ago! If the Empire wanted to get all the Jedi here, then Mandalore is going to be the first target!"

 _"Can't we stop it?"_

Anakin used the Force to throw all the nearby stormtroopers back. "I'm sorry, Spectre Five. I know what this means to you, but we don't have the resources. Our fleet comprises of a few ARC-170's, a V-19, the _Ghost,_ and the _Mantis._ None of them capable to destroy a space station." He ran aboard the _Ghost_ and waved to the other members as they hurried. "There's nothing we can do."

He watched as Ezra and Sabine boarded the _Mantis_ with Merrin, and nodded to Rex as the Captain sat down next to him. "Hera, that's everyone!"

As the ships took off, Anakin slipped into the Force, and found that Sabine was a wave of anger. Sighing, he stood and made his way to the cockpit, sitting down in the co-pilots seat as they cleared the atmosphere.

"I have a massive energy reading." Hera gestured to the scope. "It's emerging from hyperspace."

Anakin didn't need the Force to feel the Dark Side from the station. "It's him." He grabbed his comm. "Fulcrum, Sidious is on that station." He sighed. "If you wanted to ask about me or Maul, now is a good time."

 _"I think I'll pass, Master."_

Anakin nodded and looked at Hera. "We should go. Before Sabine witnesses something she'll never forget."

His comm beeped. "Spectre Six to Skywalker, where are we headed?"

Anakin glanced at Hera. "Dantooine. There was once an enclave of Jedi there."

As Hera nodded, the Death Star fired, and all Anakin could hear was screaming.

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

 **Chapter Notes!**

 **I). LAAT/le gunships are those TIE/Republic Gunship hybrids we see in Rebels and the last few episodes of the Clone Wars. Remember Kanan's death? The ship Sabine was piloting was an LAAT/le.**

 **II). I couldn't kill Cale and Jacen! Partially because last time I _hinted_ at it, I almost got crucified in the comments. (Use your anger. It gives your reviews focus). However, Caleb's not out of hot water yet, because Sidious is looking to replace Anakin. And The Emperor is a far more menacing villain than Kei Larson...**

 **III). So, Mandalore. That may be a problem. For a different reason than you may think. Jedi who have a bond can share pain. Remember Ezra's reaction to Alderaan? Imagine that compounded because the other Jedi on your team are also dealing with the effects of such massive loss of life. Not to mention the extremely sad and angry Mandalorian with whom Ezra also shares a bond with. In other words, next chapter won't be so much fun for our Jedi...**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Judge**


	37. Shatterpoint

**Thanks to admoris3201 for the feedback! Thanks also to V for the future review, as he seems prone to commenting the day after I post.**

 **admoris: That is a great idea, and I have inserted it into this chapter.**

 **Shorter chapter than usual, but I have a feeling you guys are going to hate me for the ending...**

 **Enjoy!**

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

Sabine gasped in horror as the Death Star's laser could be heard impacting Mandalore, but her horror was compounded by Ezra, who had fallen onto the ground. Kneeling beside him, she spied Cal near the front of the Mantis, sitting on the bench, holding his head in his hands. Reminded of what happened after Alderaan, Sabine shifted Ezra into her lap and grabbed her comm. "Spectre Five to Ghost, what just happened?"

She knew, but needed confirmation. Confirmation that Hera seemed loathe to give. _"The Death Star attacked us. Narrowly avoided it."_

Sabine scowled and worriedly checked on Ezra. "And how's Anakin?"

 _"Fine."_ His voice sounded sandpapery, but he was at least conscious. _"Ahsoka?"_

The former Jedi moaned. " _Still here, Skyguy."_

Even amid the horror, Sabine bit back a laugh. "Skyguy?" Somewhere near the cockpit, she could hear Rex laughing. "I'm calling you that for now on."

A moan was heard, and Sabine looked first to Ezra, then to Cal, who was struggling to sit up. Merrin, who also looked queasy, helped him. "Are you all right?"

Slowly, he nodded and slumped back in his seat. "Ezra?" He whispered quietly. Then he nodded. "It would be much worse for him."

Sabine frowned. "What do you mean?"

The Jedi leaned forward, wincing as he did so. "He…shares a bond with us. At the Temple, we were all taught how to close our bonds to limit pain."

Sabine leaned against a wall, moving Ezra up slightly closer. "That's why only Ezra was knocked out."

Cal nodded, then groaned. "Yeah. I don't know if he's had any lessons on closing a bond."

Sabine sighed. "He hasn't had a bond to close in a long time." She stared out the viewport, anger slowly coming back. "They destroyed my home."

"Careful with your feelings, Sabine." Cal cautioned. "Ezra has a bond to you too. Your anger, your fear, is only going to make things for him worse."

Sabine clenched her jaw and looked away. Then immediately looked back as Ezra groaned. "Ez?"

Slowly, he sat up and rested his head on Sabine's shoulder. "I hate that."

Sabine gave a wan smile and rested her head atop his. "You scared me."

Ezra closed his eyes, listening to the Force. There was…a hole around where Mandalore used to be, as if the Death Star had wiped out everything. Honing in on it, Ezra could still hear cries. Cries of pain, and cries of vengeance. "There's still Mandalorians out there."

Sabine's hand gripped his own. "Can you sense Mother?"

Krownest was untouched, as was the moon of Mandalore. What would become of it now that there was nothing to rotate, Ezra didn't know. Seeking out Countess Wren, he focused first on Krownest, then on the surrounding region. Finally, he opened his eyes. "I don't know."

Seeing Sabine's crestfallen look, he continued. "That doesn't mean anything. It just means she's not nearby. I can't pick her Force Essence light-years away like I can with you."

"So she might be alive."

Cal nodded and stood with Merrin's help. "I know a few Mandalorian warriors who weren't on the planet. I can see if they'll help."

The commons fell silent, and Ezra probed his bond with Sabine tentatively. It was a one-way bond, seeing as she wasn't Force Sensitive, but he could still read her emotions.

Currently, she was feeling anger, rage that would spiral out of control. Carefully, he took her hand. "Sabine…"

She stood. "We have to hit them. Now." She grabbed her comm. "Anakin. What was that mission you were telling Rex about? The one with Revan?"

The former Jedi sighed. _"Sabine, that's not a mess you want to get into. Who Darth Revan was… he's a monster all to himself."_

Sabine's free hand clenched into a fist. "So's the Empire. And I am _not_ going to sit back and watch more worlds like Mandalore be destroyed!" She glanced at Ezra, who was watching her with concern, and spoke calmer. "What is the mission?"

Anakin was silent for a long moment. " _We code-named it GL-537. Obi-Wan and I were discussing it right before the Siege of Mandalore. We knew the Sith could imbue an object with their spirit if their hatred was focused enough. But we also knew that Revan had been a force for the Light and the Dark. The idea was to find the mask of Revan and see if any of his spirit remained."_

Sabine sat back down. "Where's the mask now?"

Anakin sounded uneasy. _"Sabine, if we're actually doing this, I want Ezra, Rex and myself to go alone."_

Sabine laughed. "You think I'm going to let my husband and Rex be alone with you?"

Now he sounded frustrated. _"If we're actually going to find Darth Revan, then having non-Force users like Hera and yourself would only be a liability."_

She scowled. "So why take Rex?"

 _"Rex was involved with the planning of the operation. He can also act unimpeded if something happened to Ezra, and I just don't think you can."_

Sabine stared at the durasteel wall, a long forgotten memory entering her head:

 _"That or he's unravelling."_

 _Sabine glared. "He's_ not _unravelling."_

 _"Are you sure?" Hera shifted. "You can't think clearly because of the way you feel about him. It's clouding your judgment."_

Against her better judgment, she nodded. "Okay. We'll stop Krownest and switch ships. You, Rex and Ezra can take the _Ghost_."

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

Ahsoka closed her eyes, feeling the Force. There was a hole around Mandalore, and the waves of memories it sent back. Capturing Maul, him begging for death. Watching Rex succumb to Clone Order 66, only for her to help him. Feeling Anakin's despair through their bond, feeling the death of first Master Windu, then the rest of the Jedi.

They emerged from hyperspace near a planet called Phindar, and Ahsoka and Sabine exited the _Mantis,_ watching as Hera landed near them. As Ahsoka watched Anakin and Rex emerge, Sabine embraced Ezra fiercely. "Come back safe." She whispered. Letting go, she stared at Rex. "We'll be on frequency four if you need to contact us."

Rex nodded and slipped on his helmet. "We shouldn't be gone longer than a week." He glanced at Ahsoka. "Stay safe, Kid."

She chuckled. "I'm older than you, Captain."

Even under his helmet, she could see his grin. " _Commander_." He corrected. He turned to follow the others, then tilted his head to regard Ahsoka. "One more thing. I know of a few clones that would be an asset to us. One of them is on Nevarro."

Sabine sighed as the trio entered the _Ghost,_ and turned to Ahsoka. "There's a Mandalorian ClanI know of on Nevarro. We should-we should go tell them what happened."

Ahsoka nodded and placed a hand on Sabine's back. "Sabine, I am so-"

The Mandalorian shook her head and placed her helmet on. "Let's go."

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

Anakin lowered himself into the pilot seat and began typing coordinates. "I have an idea of where to start, but this may take some time." He glanced at Rex. "Longer than a week for sure, _Commander_."

While Rex looked sheepish, Ezra leaned forward, staring out the viewport as Sabine and Hera entered the _Mantis._ "What's your best guess on where the mask is?"

"Ixigul." Anakin sighed. "That's where we traced it. But there's no mention of that planet in any star charts."

Ezra almost collapsed into the copilots seat and stared at Anakin. "What did you just say?"

"Ixigul." Anakin scowled and stared at Ezra, who was holding his head. "Does that mean anything to you?"

Ezra overid Anakin's hyperspace coordinates and absently began typing his own, closing his eyes while he did so. Images were coming to him, images shrouded in darkness. Voices screamed out to him, but one voice in particular caught his attention. "Antai Valia Buti Atsvara"

"Ezra?" Rex grabbed his shoulder. "Kid, what did you just say?"

The voice was louder. "Atsvara"

Anakin froze in horror, thinking the words over in his mind. "It's the Sith language." He watched as the _Ghost_ entered hyperspace. "I have a bad feeling about this."

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

 **Chapter Notes!**

 **I). That memory Sabine remembers is from Chapter 10 of For You Alone. Basically, Hera accused Sabine of the same thing as Anakin.**

 **II). For those who know about recent Star Wars TV Shows, the Clan on Nevarro should ring a few bells. Don't expect to see any main characters from that show, as this is a full five years before that...**

 **III). Ixigul in Star Wars canon has another name: Exegol. Insert as many fan theories as you want.**

 **IV). Thanks to LingoJam for the Sith Language, as well as Mando'a, which I've employed in the past.**

 **Ezra's Sith Translation:**

 **Atsvara: Balance**

 **Antai Valia Buti Atsvara: There will be balance**

 **Question for everyone: In the Siege of Mandalore Arc, Anakin promotes Rex to Commander. But, in Rebels, he is only referred to as Captain. Why is that?**

 **The obvious answer is that Rebels was made before the Siege of Mandalore, and they didn't know Rex would be promoted. But, that answer's no fun. If I had to guess, I'd say that Rex tries desperately to forget about the events around the Siege of Mandalore, so he disregards his promotion in favour of Captain. But, what do you guys think?**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Judge**


	38. Visions and Voices

**Spoilers for Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 7, Episode 12**

 **Thanks to V, Guest, Eznf98 and Xertib for the feedback!**

 **V: Normally, I post a chapter, and then two hours later I get a notification that you've commented on the chapter** _before_ **the one I just posted, so it's a rare privilege to actually mention it here. As for your actual review, as per the episode that aired today, Rex's fate is a bit ambiguous. We see him on the ice planet with Ahsoka, but where does he go from there? Ahsoka goes into hiding, but what about Rex? Hmm...**

 **Guest: Truthfully, I don't know how wise listing this story as a crossover is either. Problem is, this is now so much larger than a Star Wars: Rebels story. Sure, Ezra and Sabine are the two main characters, but so is Anakin. So is Cal. There isn't a general tab for all the characters at the moment, which is a pity. I don't quite know what I'm going to do.**

 **Eznf98: I'm not sure if that's an admonishment or not. I mean, yes, you're probably right that this story will never end, simply because Star Wars will never end. I take great pride and joy in mixing in all the new stuff. For instance, the new Mandalore Arc episodes, I've been sprinkling in little snippets here and there. I actually re-edited For You Alone Chapter 7 because of it. I'm glad you love the story, I hope you keep loving it. As for the First Order, well, wouldn't want to give anything away, would I?**

 **Xertib: Yep, on to Revan. If it says anything, it took the destruction of an entire planet for Anakin to even consider the mission. Revan's scary. And Anakin is scared for good reason. Messing with Sith Spirits...doesn't usually work out. As for the fate of Rex, who knows? It is something that I am very curious about.**

 **For those of you who have seen Episode 12: Did I sense a Rex/Ahsoka moment in the middle of all that? Not quite sure, but it felt like it. Hmm...**

 **Enjoy!**

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

The _Ghost_ emerged from hyperspace near a dark, stormy planet, and Anakin nearly recoiled at the darkness on the surface. While darkness and light were both necessary for proper balance, you didn't want one to overpower the other. This place was consumed by the darkness. "Let's just find the mask and leave."

Taking control of the ship from Ezra, who was still unresponsive, Anakin landed the ship in a clearing away from the rocks that jutted from the surface. Sharing an uneasy look with Rex, Anakin tentatively laid a hand on Ezra's shoulder. "Ezra?"

His eyes unseeingly stared past the viewport. "Dabar Mes'll Ziur."

Anakin stood and backed away from him, glancing at Rex. "Cover me."

As Rex pulled out his pistol, Anakin reached into the Force, scowling at what he saw in Ezra. The Kid was battling something dark, and he wasn't winning.

Calling on the Force, Anakin reached out and gripped Ezra's throat, lightly applying pressure. After a moment, Ezra stopped fighting the Dark Side and focused on Anakin, who released him. "Kid?"

Rex holstered his pistol as Ezra fell to the floor, gasping. "Ezra, say something!" After a moment, he amended. "In Basic!"

Slowly, Ezra stood, leaning on the hull as he caught his breath. "Exegol…"

"Ezra?" Anakin had his hand on his lightsaber, prompting Rex to place his hand on his pistol. "Where are we?"

The haze seemed to clear from Ezra's eyes, and he looked around. "Wha-where are we?"

Anakin sighed, but removed his hand from his belt. "I just asked you that." He paused and looked around. "I sense darkness here."

Rex flipped his viewfinder down. "There's no-one out here." He zoomed in on a large structure, some sort of mask. "This place gives me the creeps."

Anakin exited the _Ghost_ and focused on the Force. "The Mask is here." He glanced at the others. "Let's find it and leave. I don't want to be here any longer than necessary."

A rumble resonated through the ground, and Rex backed away. "General?"

Anakin sighed. "Tremor." Because _of course._ "Stay together."

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

Sabine entered the cantina on Nevarro. Ahsoka had agreed to stay away, seeing as Nevarro was the home of the Bounty Hunter's Guild, and a former Jedi would have a very large bounty on their head. So did Sabine, but her armour changed often enough that she was virtually invisible.

Scanning the life-forms in the cantina, Sabine frowned as her sensors settled on a lone man in the corner, who was watching her. Making her way to the bar, Sabine settled opposite the man, nodding her thanks to the Aqualish bartender as he put a drink in front of her.

The blast door opened, and Sabine turned her head away from the man's table to see the newcomer. After analyzing the Quarren male, she returned to facing his table, noting with dismay that he had left, a pile of credits on the table.

Sabine activated her comm. "Spectre Five to Fulcrum, status?"

Ahsoka's voice came through her helmet's speakers. _"I've arrived at the location Rex sent me. I'll comm you if I find anything. How's your mission?"_

Sabine sighed. "I can't find the Clan. After what happened, can't say I blame them for hiding." She looked around the cantina one final time. "I'm going to head back to the ship. Spectre Five, out."

Ahsoka nodded and stared at the man in front of her. "Stay safe, Five." Lowering her comlink, she raised her lightsaber. "Why come to me?"

The man lowered his head. "I thought I killed him. The man I served with for hundreds of battles, I…it was like something took control of me."

Ahsoka deactivated her lightsaber and returned it to her belt. "That happened to Rex, too." She revealed. "The Kaminoans put chips inside your head, made you turn on General Kenobi. Just like Rex turned on me."

Cody raised his head, white fringe falling into his face. "Rex?" He murmured. "But, you said…"

Ahsoka nodded. "Rex turned on me, but I removed his chip. We escaped together."

 _Thanks, Kid. Sorry about before. I almost killed you._

Cody almost looked hopeful. "And…General Kenobi?"

She looked down. "Gone." She admitted. "Vader killed him."

Cody seemed to collapse in on himself. "If-If I had been able to resist, I-I could have helped the General."

 _Find him. Find him. Fives. Find him! Fives!_

Ahsoka blocked off the memories. "We can't dwell on what was, only on what is."

Cody, composing himself, nodded and handed her a datapad. "These are all the Imperial Prisons in the Outer Rim. Some of them are heavily fortified."

Ahsoka scrolled down, one entry in particular snatching her attention. "Lola Sayu?" She looked up at Cody. "Who's being held in the Citadel?"

The old clone shrugged. "I don't know. Could be a Jedi, or a clone unit that disobeyed Order 66."

Interest piqued, Ahsoka set the data pad on a rock. "Where there any units that disobeyed Order 66?"

Cody thought back. "Only squad I can recall that completely disregarded Clone Order 66 was a Clone Commando Squadron. They were serving under General Ta'll when the Order was given, and the Captain just ended the transmission and continued fighting alongside the General."

Ahsoka's comm beeped. _"Fulcrum, come in."_

She glanced at Cody and raised her comlink. "Spectre Five?"

 _"I've arrived at the ship, but we seem to have company."_

Grabbing the data pad, Ahsoka stood. "On my way." Returning the comm to her belt, she looked at Cody. "Sure you don't want to rejoin the fight?"

"You have Jedi, right?" Cody shook his head. "If someone sends me that Order, then you're all at risk. I'll remain here and help where I can."

Ahsoka nodded. "May the Force be with you." Returning to her speeder, she grabbed her comm. "Spectre Five, I'm inbound to you now. Three minutes."

Sabine glanced at her comm and activated the darksaber, slowly advancing on the man she had watched in the cantina. "Why are you here?" He was in Mandalorian armour, but his helmet was the same as the Imperial Super Commandoes, just painted black and white. "How did you track me down?"

To her shock, he pulled out a lightsaber of his own and ignited it, a yellow blade appearing. "You are consorting with a traitor to the Jedi Order." He raised his lightsaber in what Sabine recalled Kanan teaching her as the Makashi salute. "Surrender him or die."

As much as Sabine disliked Anakin for who he had been, she could at least see he was making an effort for redemption. Besides, if it was really just a ploy, she wanted to be the one to kill him.

So she raised her lightsaber in the vertical stance Kanan had taught her years earlier. "Never."

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

Ezra led them into a cave, casting a cautious glance to the shadows. "Do you think any animals lives here?"

Rex shook his head. "I don't think so. According to General Kenobi's research, Exegol is home to Sith Cultists."

"Sith Cultists?" Ezra stopped and looked at Rex. "There are people who _worship_ the Sith?"

Rex shrugged, turning on the headlamps on his helmet. "There are people who worship the Jedi too." He sighed as they rounded yet another turn. "Do you even know where you're going?"

Ezra looked sheepish. "Maybe?"

Rex sighed and activated his comlink. "I think Spectre Six and I are lost."

A chuckle could be heard. _"I would join you, but Ezra insisted I stay at the ship to guide you guys back."_

Ezra nodded, his lightsaber casting green shadows. "When we set up the base on Hoth, Hera staying on the _Ghost_ was the only way we found our way home. I really don't want to get lost here."

 _"Do you remember how you even got us here?"_

Before he could answer, the ground broke loose in front of him. With Rex's cry of 'Kid!', Ezra fell in, hearing his wrist comm shatter against the rock wall. As he fell, the Force seemed to get darker, until the sheer blackness of it knocked him out.

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

Sabine rolled away, blocking a vertical swipe with the darksaber, insanely grateful for all of Ezra's training. Her enemy surged forward, launching a series of jabs that she had to use all her acrobatic skill to avoid. Forcing him back with her repulser. Sabine grabbed her blaster pistol and fired, watching in dismay as a small blue energy shield appeared on his wrist.

The man pointed his lightsaber at her. "I will ask you one final time. Surrender Vader to me, or die."

"Why do you want him?"

The man whirled to face Ahsoka, who had her lightsabers out. "Vader destroyed the Jedi Order. He killed my Master, and so many others. He must die."

Ahsoka lowered her lightsabers. "You were a Padawan during the War." She took a step forward. "You must know that giving in to your anger isn't the Jedi Way."

"So long as my anger does not control me, it is not a problem." He shifted and looked from Ahsoka to Sabine. "If you do not tell me, I will find Vader on my own, but I will come after all of you."

Sabine raised the darksaber and lunged for him, but he activated his jetpack and flew away. She started to follow, but Ahsoka held her there. "Let him go."

Sabine stared at the dot vanishing in the distance. "He's going to come after us." She turned back to Ahsoka. "If whoever that was is indeed a Mandalorian, then their idea of revenge may go deeper than your Jedi principles."

"I know." Ahsoka nodded. "We'll be ready for him."

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

Ezra groaned and stood, feeling a dull ache in his head that had nothing to do with the fall. Feeling the Force, and nearly recoiling from the darkness, Ezra struggled to locate a way out of the dark ravine he had fallen into. Maybe his backup comm could-

 _I can save your son…_

Ezra whirled, lightsaber ignited. "Who said that!"

 _Your wife, your family, they are not yet lost…_

Ezra searched the darkness, slowly turning in a circle, green light exposing shadows. "Show yourself!"

 _Only together, can we save their future…_

The light from Ezra's lightsaber shone upon a mask, and he picked it up, frowning. Something about it seemed…familiar. His lightsaber showed that it looked like a Mandalorian's mask. Maybe Sabine could tell him about it once he-

 _Ezra!_

Startled, Ezra dropped the mask and pointed his lightsaber at it. "What do you want?"

 _To save that which would otherwise perish…_

A vision entered Ezra's head. Sabine, impaled on a red blade. Cale, a teenager, serving the Emperor. Himself, lying lifeless at his son's feet, killed by his blade.

 _You can stop this…_

More visions. Cale, dressed as an Imperial Inquisitor, decimating Lothal with legions of troopers. Rex, Cal, Anakin, all dying. Death Stars as far as the eye could see.

Gasping, Ezra fell to his hands and knees. "How…how can I stop this?"

 _Together…_

Ezra pressed his back against the stone wall and picked up the mask once again. Once again, it called out to him, but it was warm, inviting.

 _As one…_

Ezra, as if guided by some force other than his own, slipped the mask onto his own head, and blacked out.

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

"Any sign of him?" Anakin stared at the Temple. "I don't want to go in there."

Rex grabbed his comm. "Phoenix Seven to Spectre Six, check in. You missed rendezvous."

A moment later, the comm crackled back. _"Sorry."_

Anakin frowned. Something seemed off. "Kid? Where are you?"

 _"At the ship."_

The comm turned off, and Anakin began running back to the _Ghost_. "Something's wrong!"

Hearing Rex follow him, Anakin grabbed his lightsaber. Ezra was standing in front of the _Ghost,_ but there was something on his head. As he drew near, Anakin slowed to a stop. That was Revan's Mask.

"Ezra?" Rex glanced at Anakin, who ignited his lightsaber. They both knew what might happen if the mask was put on. "Everything okay, Kid?"

A sudden Force Push threw both of them against the hull of the _Ghost,_ and Anakin grunted. "Ezra, you have to fight it! Don't let him win!"

The Mask chuckled. "Ezra Bridger is long gone. Only I remain." The Force increased, and Anakin grunted as the metal behind him began to dent. "And you are no match for me, Chosen One."

The voice being modulated out of the mask was deeper than Ezra's normal one, and even the Force felt distorted. Anakin's mind raced as he recalled everything he had ever learnt about Revan. "Why are you doing this? Why betray everything you worked for?"

"Balance." The Mask took a step closer. "Light has become stronger than Dark. That needs to be remedied. That's why I called you here."

Rex tried in vain to grab his blaster pistol. "You called us here?"

"Indeed." The Mask moved towards the cockpit. "I lured Bridger here using visions and voices. A few possibilities into his head, and he was mine."

Anakin watched as The Mask sat down in the pilot's seat, and struggled fruitlessly as he and Rex were carried into the ship. "What are you doing!"

"Flying us out of here." The Mask tilted to regard him. "Unless you'd like to stay as my guest?"

Rex strained once more against the Force. "Where are you taking us!"

Anakin could sense a mocking smile as the _Ghost_ cleared the atmosphere. "Home."

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

"Ahsoka!"

 _So, we're just going to surrender? Admit defeat? Is that it?_

She opened her eyes and regarded a worried Sabine. "Yes?"

 _Those men may be willing to die, but I am not going to be the one that kills them._

Sabine handed her a data-pad. "I did some research on our _friend_."

"Oh?" Ahsoka scrolled down, sifting through the information. "Do we know his name?"

"No." Sabine sat opposite her. "But that armour looked familiar." She shook her head. "It was the executioner variant of the helmet, I thought it was an Imperial Super Commando helmet."

"Okay?" Ahsoka handed her back the data-pad. "What does that mean?"

Sabine sighed. "It means he is a Mandalorian. And he is also a Force User."

"Who wants revenge on Anakin for the death of his Master." Ahsoka finished her thought. "Great."

"We have to go back to Kamino. It's our best defensive location."

Ahsoka nodded and grabbed her comm. "I agree. Fulcum to Rebound Two, we need to head back to Kamino."

 _"Copy that, Fulcrum."_

Sabine settled back as the _Mantis_ surged into hyperspace, and allowed a genuine smile to appear. Even despite the dangers, despite everything that had been lost, she still had Ezra. And Ezra would know how to stop the Empire, how to get Cale back.

All she had to do was keep believing.

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

 **Translations for Ezra's Sith:**

 **Dabar Mes'll Ziur: Now we'll see.**

 **Chapter Notes!**

 **I). So, Sabine's been angry with Anakin for a while now. Imagine her response when they get back and Ezra has an ancient Sith Lord inside him...**

 **On that note, this is something I'm iffy on. Canonically, Sith's can possess people, but is there a criteria? Like, you have to have a crumbling spirit or something?**

 **II). The Mandalorian Jedi is a character that was requested by Compared Dread 12, and is a character we will be seeing more of. Because Mandalorians in general at this stage of For You Alone are fascinating.**

 **III). Sabine's mental state probably isn't the greatest either. Especially when you compound it with her husband is basically a demon now. She's going to be angry, and she's going to take that anger on whoever is unfortunate to get in her way, be it the Mandalorian Jedi or a certain Anakin Skywalker...**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Happy May the Fourth!**

 **Judge**


	39. Monsters Inside Me

**Thanks to DarthEzra, Guest, V, Nerdywriter07, ComparedDread12, Guest and Eznf98 for the feedback!**

 **DarthEzra: Glad you're finally caught up; you've been gone a while. Unfortunately, answering your questions would spoil upcoming chapters, so I'll just tell you to wait and see.**

 **Guest: I think I found a workaround. Turns out if I file this story under MoviesStar WarsCanon, all the characters I want are there. I still can only choose four, so it isn't a perfect system, but it's no longer under crossover. Actually, your advice has caused me to post this story on AO3, so there's that.**

 **V: I have no confirmation that Rex and Ahsoka have a thing, but it certainly seems like there could be. Pity he's now twice her age. Although...in this story...**

 **ComparedDread12: I guess I'm biased on how much I give away in the chapter notes, since I wrote everything, but I do feel as though I hinted towards _someone_ getting possessed. Although (don't tell anyone) my current plan is to use the Revan arc as a stepping stone to something bigger (shhhh!)**

 **Guest: Really? That's actually very interesting. I use LingoJam for Mando'a and Sith. Any similarity to actual languages are beyond my knowledge and are incidental.**

 **Eznf98: The mentions of the Siege of Mandalore Arc are found in little snippets in the previous four chapters. From Chapter 35 onward. I tried not to make it blatent. The biggest one is in Chapter 7. I had to go back and re-edit that one.**

 **Just in case anyone is wondering: This story is focusing solely on Darth Revan. When Revan died, his Light Side was at peace, and his Dark Side stayed behind. That actually happened, it's not something I'm making up for this story. So, Revan here isn't the harbinger of Light he was when he was alive.**

 **Thanks to everyone who is reviewing!**

 **Judge**

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

 _"Let me out!"_ Ezra struggled against the barriers of his own mind. _"I didn't want this!"_

 _"You let me in."_ Ezra whirled to see a reflection of himself, wearing what he now recognised as the mask of Darth Revan. " _Everything that happens is on your head."_

Ezra shook his head, tears falling unbidden. _"I won't let you use me to destroy the Galaxy."_

The Mask chuckled. _"I'm not here to destroy. I'm here to balance."_

Ezra's eyes widened. _"What?"_

 _"The Force is out of balance. Surely you have felt this."_ The Mask gestured, and Ezra watched as the Death Star destroyed Alderaan. Destroyed Mandalore. _"Once, there were two Sith, and two Jedi. The Force took away the son of Skywalker, and gave you Cal Kestis."_ Ezra could almost feel the narrowing of the other's eyes. " _But then you destroyed Vader, and brought back Skywalker."_

Ezra stared at the reflection, aghast. _"You're saying_ I _unbalanced the Force?"_

The Mask seemed to nod. _"And I am here to correct it."_

 _"You won't_." His lightsaber seemed to materialise, and Ezra ignited it. _"I won't let you."_

" _Oh?"_ The Mask took a step forward. _"You seek to keep the Force out of balance? Become an agent of evil?"_

Ezra pointed his lightsaber at The Mask. _"You are going to destroy me. Destroy my friends. I won't let you."_

The Mask chuckled. _"What makes you so sure you can defeat me?"_ He gestured around. _"I'm in your head. I know your darkest secrets. I know who you hate, and who you love."_

Ezra scowled. _"I won't let you consume me."_

 _"As if I would be the first."_ The Mask pointed to a memory of Ezra's, and he fell to the ground, shutting his eyes against the pain. _"Vader nearly destroyed you."_

Ezra screamed, the unexpected pain of a lightsaber searing into his face for the second time almost more painful than the first time. So focused on his pain, he was unable to sense the Dark Side surround his counterpart.

The Mask stared at the writhing form of Ezra Bridger. _"Pathetic."_

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

Anakin grunted as he and Rex were released to the floor, and ran to The Mask, igniting his lightsaber. The other activated Ezra's, and there was a momentary blade lock before Anakin was once again pushed to the wall.

The Mask loomed over him, lightsaber drawn. "I have plans, Skywalker. And you will not stand in the way of them this time."

Anakin's eyes widened. "This time?" An echo of Palpatine's teachings returned. "You're the new embodiment of the Sith."

The Mask nodded. "As you are the Jedi, however unworthy you are."

Rex grabbed his pistol, only to find empty air as they were thrown to the side. "What is your plan!"

The Mask chuckled. "Skywalker lost his wife, and descended further into the Dark." He tilted his head, as if in thought. "Imagine what will happen when Bridger loses his?"

He walked out of the _Ghost_ , and Anakin slid to the ground. "We have to warn Sabine."

Rex nodded, trying his comm. A moment later, he sighed. "Comms are down. We'll have to reach her before he does."

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

 _"Ezra?"_

His head shot up. _"Sabine!"_

 _"Where are you!"_

Reaching in to the Force, Ezra followed her Signature. In to Echo Base. He watched in horror as Vader threw her against the wall and ignited his lightsaber.

Ezra surged forward, activating his own. _"No!"_

With a single cry, Sabine slumped to the ground, and Vader disappeared, leaving Ezra alone to cradle her lifeless body.

 _You could have saved me._

Ezra turned his tear stained face to the Lothal night sky. _"I…I tried!"_

 _Why didn't you do more?_

 _"Ezra!"_

That voice…he knew that voice… _"Kanan?"_ Glancing down, he was somehow shocked, but not surprised to find Sabine's body had vanished. _"Kanan!"_

 _Where's Ezra?_

The urgency in Kanan's voice, Ezra believed he knew what this was, and ran towards the sound of his voice.

 _You mean my apprentice?_

Spurred harder, Ezra raced to his Master's side, in time to see Maul slam his lightsaber into Kanan's head. Igniting his own, Ezra tried to attack the Sith but, like Vader, he vanished. Along with Kanan.

Again.

 _Hey, enough of that. Time to go!_

Ezra started, closing his eyes against the memory. He didn't want to relive that night. _"No…_ "

 _Kanan!_

Ezra folded against the wall, trapped in his memories. _"Kanan…"_

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

Sabine smiled as she saw the form of Ezra enter the _Ghost,_ but it quickly slipped off. Something about Ezra's posture had changed. His gait had become more jerky. And the fact that he was wearing a bucket.

Sabine slowly slid one of her pistols out of their holsters. "Ezra?"

There was a raspy chuckle. "Ezra Bridger isn't here currently."

Sabine stood and tried to fire, but her arm felt like it was frozen. Just…suspended in air, still pointed at The Mask.

The Mask seemed to smile, and Sabine could feel the malicious intent behind it as her arm-still holding her pistol-was slowly raised of it's own accord and pointed at her own head. "Your death will be the last boulder in Bridger's tomb. He will fall to the dark with you gone, and the Force will be balanced."

Sabine's eyes widened as she realised there was no escape this time, and let out a small gasp as The Mask's fingers tightened, and the trigger on her pistol began to move back.

"General! Now!" With a shout, Rex jumped onto Ezra's back and grabbed the mask, throwing it to Anakin, who slashed it in half with his lightsaber. In that same moment, Sabine's arm fell, and a blaster bolt was fired into the floor. Seconds later, Rex was at her side. "You okay?"

Nodding minutely, Sabine regarded Ezra, who was lying unconscious on the floor. "Will he be okay?"

Anakin closed his eyes, connecting to the Force, and grimaced. "I'm not sure. Revan's spirit was brutal in suppressing him." He opened his eyes. "We'll just have to wait and see."

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

 _"Ezra?"_

A touch of his arm drew him out of despair, and Ezra looked up, to see Kanan's worried face. _"Master?"_ He murmured. Then he shook his head. _"Just another trick."_

 _"Karabast, Kid."_ Kanan grabbed his arm and helped him up. _"Whatever's going on with you, you have to snap out of it. You're no help to Sabine and the others in this position."_

Ezra's eyes narrowed. " _And how am I supposed to help them?"_ He gestured around to the dark space. _"Revan's in control of my mind. I_ can't _fight him!"_

 _"Ezra."_ Kanan smiled. _"In the heart of a Jedi lies his strength. Maybe you can't defeat Revan alone, but you have allies in the Force."_

Ezra pondered this, then nodded. " _So, how do you propose I get out of here?"_

Kanan's smile dimmed. " _To escape, you have to go through your darkest memory."_

Ezra looked down at the ground. He had a fairly good idea what Kanan was asking him to do. _"I-I don't want to."_

 _"What is your darkest memory, Ezra?"_

Ezra knew instantly which memory that was. Anxiously, he looked for Kanan. _"You'll be here with me?"_

Kanan nodded. _"Every step."_ He affirmed.

Taking a deep breath, Ezra closed his eyes. " _Then let's go."_

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

Sabine watched the comatose form of Ezra as he lay on one of the cloning tables inside the base on Kamino. It was the best location for him at the moment. Then she looked up at Anakin. "How did this happen?"

He glanced down at the two halves of Revan's helmet. "Something called Ezra. He took control of the _Ghost_ , and started speaking Sith."

Sabine narrowed her eyes. "And, even after all that, the idea didn't occur to you that you were making a mistake?"

Anakin sighed. "We needed an edge." He said quietly. "Or else we're going to lose this war."

She let out a bitter laugh. "And now we're down a valuable member. And _definitely_ going to lose the war." Sabine stood, and Anakin could hear her pistol cock. "I knew you hadn't changed."

He took a wary step backward, hand on his lightsaber. "Sabine, I'm not your enemy!"

She raised her pistol. "I warned you," she hissed, "that if you made one mistake, I would end you."

Anakin activated his lightsaber and raised it in a defensive position. "Sabine, retrieving Revan's Mask wasn't the only reason we went on that mission."

Her pistol lowered ever so slightly. "What was the other reason?"

Anakin used the Force to call something out of one of the bags on the _Ghost._ He offered it to Sabine. "This."

A moment later, it was sent sailing out of his hand, and Anakin ducked underneath a blaster bolt. "You brought us a Sith Holocron?" Sabine fired again, and Anakin deflected it into the sky. "You have no idea what that thing did to Ezra last time!"

Anakin's eyes widened. "Ezra kept that Holocron from Malachor?"

Sabine nodded, tears threatening to break. She hated thinking of those six months. "Kanan could sense its presence, I think. That's why he didn't do anything after Maul blinded him."

Anakin nodded, taking it all in. He knew Imperial sightings of Kanan had reported him with a mask on, the same mask Ezra had worn, but he hadn't known the cause of the blindness, or that Maul had escaped the 332nd Company after Ahsoka captured him. "What about Ezra?"

Now a tear did slide down her face. "He was using it." She whispered, pistol falling lower. "Because he believed he was alone. That we blamed him for Kanan's blindness." She closed her eyes. "He was so afraid that Kanan would yell at him, they hardly ever saw each other for months."

 _I can't take another step._

Ezra's admission after Alderaan hit her, and she nodded to herself. "The Sith Holocron told him that he had to cut the people he loved out of his life, in order to protect them."

Anakin deactivated his lightsaber and returned it to his belt. "Did he listen?"

Sabine nodded. "He tried. Pushed Command to give him more missions, avoided us during meals, got briefings ahead of time so he could skip group briefings. All of that was because of the Holocron. Because of the Dark Side." She narrowed her eyes at Anakin. "And you say the Dark Side is necessary for balance?"

He sighed. "It's…complicated. Balance doesn't mean using only the Light. The Jedi used only the Light, and the Sith only the Dark. That's why there is always conflict between them."

Sabine turned back to Ezra, holstering her pistol. "Find out how to fix Ezra."

Anakin used the Force to grab the Sith Holocron and nodded. "I will."

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

 _"Ezra._ " Kanan could probably sense the turmoil in him as he mentally paced. _"What is your plan?"_

He sighed. _"You said that, in order to free myself, I have to journey through my darkest memory._ " He watched as Kanan nodded. _"That means going back to a very bad day."_

Kanan gave a small smile. " _Most people's darkest memories are their worst days. Which memory are we going to?"_

Ezra closed his eyes, lowering his head. Then he turned to Kanan. _"The night Luke died."_

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

 **Chapter Notes!**

 **I). For some reason, I have this idea in my head that Force Possession is the one who got possessed relieving their darkest memories, and the Sith twisting their mind with visions to keep them unaware of the horrible acts that are happening, thus preventing them from fighting back. I don't know how canonically Possession works, so I'm operating on my own.**

 **II). If anyone's assuming Anakin and Sabine are okay now, you're wrong. I have at least one lightsaber fight planned.**

 **III). In that same vein, Revan's arc isn't over either. That may be spoilers, but I'd rather not get upset readers who were so excited to read about him yell at me for this chapter.**

 **IV). I _wish_ I could say that when I killed Luke and Han and didn't show it, I had this planned. But, I didn't. I'm without a cohesive plan, all I have is an ending that is getting pushed back more and more. **

**V). If anyone wants to talk Star Wars, I'm found on PlayStation under Judge-1964. Because FF's messaging system is glitchy, and I don't get e-mail's about PM's**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Judge**


	40. Things Far More Frightening Than Death

**Thanks to ISB, V, dovah117, DarthEzra, hellothere209, ComparedDread12 and Eznf98 for the feedback!**

 **ISB: Revan's backstory, which is far too long for this chapter, is the basis of Star Wars: The Old Republic video games. Revan wears that mask because of an oath he made to a fallen Mandalorian. For this story, it's the reason his spirit is still around.**

 **V: Oh man, I would love if Ahsoka found a way to make Rex young again. That would be beyond incredible. And, after introducing time travel, basically anything goes.**

 **dovah117: Funnily enough, I ask myself the same questions. I have a plan for the Death Star, but the cliffhangers are what I do, and will continue to be part of this story.**

 **DarthEzra: For Sabine, she has had, at this point, years of training with Ezra, so I expect she could at least hold her own. But remember, she's fighting with anger, and that _can_ be a powerful tool. So long as you control it. **

**Hellothere209: Spoiler: I didn't reveal everything. Some things are still in the shadows, because it all boils down to memory. How often do you recall an incident that took place years ago with perfect clarity? Hopefully not often, or this is awkward. Point is, Ezra's memory of that moment is hazy, something he has tried to forget about.**

 **ComparedDread12: I'm _very_ excited for what happens next with Revan. It will be very interesting, to say the least. **

**Eznf98: Unfortunately, I don't really know the character of Revan well enough to make this a battle of will. I researched, but I don't have that firm a grasp to make a call like that.**

 **Special Thanks to DarthBubbles for allowing me to use a section of this chapter that sounded...similar...to their story, Stay. I recommend you check it out, I very much enjoyed it.**

 **So, this parts of this chapter may get confusing, and that is intentional. I'll try to clarify everything at the end. That is also why this chapter is later than I wanted, because I was busy making parts of this _as confusing as possible!_**

 **Mwuhahahaha?**

 **Enjoy!**

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

"I know that wasn't you." Sabine held Ezra's limp hand in her own. "So I don't blame you. And when you wake up, I'll still be right here."

A hand rested on her shoulder, and she flinched, whirling around to face Skywalker. "I'm busy."

Skywalker accepted that, and the hand was removed from her shoulder. "I am truly sorry." He murmured. "I never thought any of this would happen."

Sabine laughed bitterly. "Yeah, and I'm sure you never thought Vader would happen when you returned to Coruscant." She resisted the urge to smile at his confused stare. "Rex told us all about the last time he saw you."

 _Master Kenobi says there's no such thing as luck_

 _Good thing I taught you otherwise_

Anakin nodded stiffly, forcing old memories back into their cage. Finding Ahsoka's lightsaber in the wreckage of the Venator, hunting Cal Kestis and his team. The actions of Vader still impacted people, but that wasn't who he was anymore.

Even though he had changed, there would be some who would never truly be comfortable with him. Ezra and Cal had forgiven him, but much of that was due to the fact that they could sense his intentions in the Force, and knew him to be genuine. It was the same with Ahsoka. It had taken a little longer, but they had quickly returned to being the same team that had been unstoppable on so many Clone War battlegrounds.

Captain Rex had never truly stopped defending him, it seemed, calling him General even when in Vader's captivity. Anakin hadn't had the chance to speak to ARC Trooper Echo, but Rex assured him he shared his sentiment. Much of that was probably due to not being around for Anakin's fall.

Hera was still coming around, she was slowly trusting him more. She had adopted Rex's habit of calling him General, if only for a code.

The real problem, as far as Anakin could tell, was Sabine. He didn't need to reach into the Force to feel the waves of anger rolling off of her. And he didn't blame her. He had very nearly derailed Ezra's entire life at Hoth, something that the Jedi had forgiven him for, but Sabine was still bitter about that.

Maybe they could have avoided a confrontation before Exegol, but after The Mask, Anakin was sure that eventually, she would come at him with the darksaber. It had very nearly culminated a few days ago when Sabine had fired on him, but that was directly after The Mask had almost forced her to kill herself.

Realising he had never answered the question, Anakin scowled. "No, I didn't think I'd fall to the Dark Side when I returned to Coruscant! Are you happy?"

Sabine's eyes narrowed. "Your _fall_ led to countless people's lives being ruined. Led to my _world_ being destroyed." She folded her arms. "In a way, yes, I am happy. You're not a real Jedi. Not like Kanan or Ezra."

Anakin couldn't help it, he flinched. The reminder of the past brought back an old conversation he had with Obi-Wan, shortly after Ahsoka had left.

 _"How would you feel if I turned into a major disappointment?"_

 _"It's not the same-"_

 _"It's_ precisely _the same. You took me under your wing and practically raised me! I'm your Padawan, just like Ahsoka was mine. How well would you sleep knowing I failed you?"_

 _"Not very well, I imagine. Luckily, that isn't true. And never will be."_

Anakin watched Sabine stalk away, and leaned against the wall, focusing on the Force. Most days, he could ignore the past, focus on the future. Or, more precisely, focus on correcting the mistakes of the past, and try to create a better future.

But the memory Sabine had inadvertently brought to the surface, it stung. Because Obi-Wan had been so sure he would never fail him. Ahsoka had been the same way, Rex had said. Even entertained the idea of working with Maul to stop Sidious, before the former Sith had mentioned his desire to kill Anakin.

Mulling it over, Anakin didn't know what was worse; the fact that his former Padawan had been tempted to trust _Maul_ of all people, or the fact that, had they joined forces, there might not have been a Darth Vader.

 _I have failed you, Anakin. I have failed you._

 _I should have known the Jedi were plotting to take over!_

Trying to shake the memories of the past, Anakin slipped into the Force, seeing if anything had changed with Ezra in the past few days. But, just like the other ten times he had checked in the past hour, there was nothing. So far, not even a hint of Ezra's Force Signature in his own body.

 _Then you are lost!  
_

Anakin flinched again, then sighed and sat down in a nearby chair. Getting the Rebels to trust him wasn't nearly as hard as escaping the demons of his past.

Everything would have been so much simpler if Obi-Wan had killed him that day.

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

Ezra gasped as he and Kanan were suddenly on an old LAAT Gunship, a relic of the Clone War. It had been provided by Rex, who apparently knew were a surplus of old Republic ordinance was hidden.

The Gunship shook as it dodged incoming fire, but Ezra frowned. The trip to Korda Six, the planet they had discovered the Empire had taken Luke and Han after interrogation was accurate, but they hadn't ridden into oncoming fire, had they?

Beside him, Kanan placed a hand on his shoulder. "Revan is blurring your memories together. He's trying to make it more difficult for you to escape."

Ezra nodded before frowning. Talking to Revan, even Kanan before, voices had echoed. Been distorted ever so slightly. Right now, there was none of that.

It was actually really-

"Commander Bridger!" One of his men, Farries, handed him a comlink. "We have Prime Minister Mekata on the comm."

Ezra sighed and accepted the transmission. "This is Commander Ezra Bridger of the Galactic Alliance. You have two of our Generals in your possession. I demand you return them to us at once."

Without answering, the Prime Minister disconnected, and Ezra sighed again. They had tracked Luke and Han to this planet to avoid Vader, for whatever reason, but they-

Wait. Not whatever reason. Anakin had told him that the Emperor had killed Luke while Vader was dealing with Han. In order to prevent him from being redeemed, but it had started him down the path of the Light.

Right?

Ezra searched his memory, trying to recall-

 _Karabast, Bridger._

Ezra flinched, recognizing what those words where. More importantly, when those words had been spoken.

 _Hey._

 _Not now, Sabine._

Ezra closed his eyes and shook his head, trying to avoid that memory. Really, that entire six month period was something he could live without thinking about.

 _Look, I know you blame yourself for what happened, but it isn't your fault._

Ezra could hear the bitter laugh he had released nearly nine years ago. " _You're not the reason Kanan's blind. Why Ahsoka's dead."_

Sabine, the Sabine from that memory, appeared beside him. " _And you think you are?"_ She shook her head. " _Maul blinded Kanan. Vader killed Ahsoka. None of that was your fault."_

He could recall what happened next. Ezra turned away, facing the wilderness of nightime Atollon, where this particular conversation had taken place. " _I'm sorry for keeping you up. I'll…try to be quieter."_

Pain erupted in his arm as Sabine hit him. " _It's not the_ noise _that's been keeping me up, you nerf-herder!"_ Her voice quieted. " _What happened on Malachor was_ not _your fault, and I'm tired of it keeping you up at night."_ Her voice grew even softer, to a point where Ezra had to strain to listen. Or, would have, if this wasn't the exact same conversation they had after Malachor. _"Let me help you."_

Ezra blinked. That _was_ how the conversation had gone years ago, but Sabine had responded to what _he_ had said, not what the Ezra from the memory had said. _"You're not real."_

She shrugged. _"Debating that isn't going to help you get out of this mess, is it?"_

Ezra scowled. _"You're just a memory."_

Sabine nodded and smiled. _"Your memory."_ She sat down beside him. _"How do we fix this?"_

Ezra looked away. _"I_ can't _."_ He shook his head. _"Kanan says I have to go through my worst memory to escape, but I can't even remember how that goes!"_

 _"Worst memory. So, Luke."_ At Ezra's inquisitive gaze, she smiled. _"I know you pretty well, Kid."_

Ezra rested his head against the wall. _"I don't suppose you can help with this?"_

 _"I was stuck in a closet at the time."_

Ezra, without looking, reached over and gave Sabine a light shove. _"But you're not Sabine. You're my memory of her, which means you do know what happened that day."_

 _"So he can be taught."_

Ezra looked up, seeing Kanan as he had looked before Malachor. He recognised this moment too. This was when he was going to the Lothal Jedi Temple for the first time. _"As much as it's fun taking a trip down memory lane, this isn't helping."_

Kanan knelt beside him. " _Patience. Focus on the moment, and it will come."_

Ezra closed his eyes and sighed, slipping into the Force. _"Focus on the moment, and it will come."_

 _"Surrender the boy to me or die, Jedi."_

Ezra's eyes shot open, and he gasped as Vader loomed over him, lightsaber drawn. _"I-I'm not afraid of you, Anakin."_

Vader took a step closer. _"That name no longer holds any meaning for me."_

A hand grasped his shoulder, and Ezra jumped, turning to face Kanan. " _Ezra, clear your mind!"_

Ezra closed his eyes, and the hum of the lightsaber gradually disappeared. _"Thanks, Kanan."_

 _"Try again._ "

Ezra centred himself, and willed the memory to come. As unpleasant as it was to think about, Kanan was right, he was no help to Sabine and the others in this state.

He had to get free.

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

Anakin caught Cal as he stumbled off the _Mantis._ "Easy." He watched as Cal placed a stabilizing hand on the ship. "How're you feeling?"

Anakin hadn't been there when Cal had been wounded defending Point Dawn on Mandalore, but he had seen Merrin work to help him. He also knew that the destruction of Mandalore would have compounded whatever problems there were, and had elected to leave Cal behind when going to Exegol, which had turned out to be a mistake.

Cal shook his head and resumed walking, slowly heading towards their Command Centre. "I'm more concerned about Ezra. Cere says something happened on Exegol?"

Anakin nodded, looking down. "A Sith Spirit got a hold of Ezra. We managed to destroy the vessel it lived in, now all that's left is for Ezra to get free."

"Skywalker." Sabine brushed past him. "Training Room. Now."

Anakin shrugged and gestured for Cal to continue to Ezra's room, before catching up with Sabine. "Why?" He noted the darksaber in her hand. "You want to fight me?"

She nodded tensely. "Figured if you were truly acting like a Jedi, you wouldn't Force-Choke me or something."

Anakin frowned in confusion, but let the comment pass. She was trying to provoke a reaction out of him, and as soon as he did that, she would be justified, in her own head at least, in being angry with him.

They stepped onto the makeshift arena, just an emptied building that once was a barracks, and Anakin activated his lightsaber, adopting the Form II Stance. He wanted to see what she was capable of.

Sabine ignited the darksaber, then slowly circled him. "I've been waiting for this chance for a long time."

Anakin nodded, turning his head slightly to keep her in his field of view. "I figured." He sighed. "I am truly sorry for what I did to Ezra. And to you."

She scoffed. "Sure you don't mean, what _Vader_ did to us?"

Anakin shook his head. "No. As much as I'd like to, Darth Vader is a part of my past I can't forget. The best I can do is move on and try to make amends for the mistakes I made."

There was silence for a few moments, and Anakin closed his eyes, trying to get a feel on the situation.

And then Sabine attacked.

Anakin whirled, narrowly blocking the black blade. There were a series of quick thrusts, before Sabine used her repulser to push him back, then followed that up with a vertical slice she changed into a horizontal one at the last second. Anakin quickly rolled away, slipping into Form III. And re-examining Sabine.

Anakin had known Ezra had been training Sabine for years now, both for her skills and his own. He didn't know how far Sabine had come, not having the opportunity to observe.

Apparently, she was _skilled._

Before Anakin could process everything, Sabine charged him again, rolling under his feet at the last possible moment. He turned to block, but was met with another repulser blast that sent him into the opposite wall.

Anakin stayed crouched, reaching out with the Force. From what he knew,-and had seen, a long time ago-Sabine Wren was not someone to wait for their opponent to attack. Most certainly was not someone to stand still, watching them with an unreadable expression. Something was off.

It wasn't anger, wasn't hatred. Those emotions would have spurred her to plunge the darksaber into his chest at first opportunity, and she'd a few already. It was odd, having an opponent best him, even for something as small as underestimating them, and _not_ take the opportunity to end the duel.

Anakin frowned, realising something. Charging, he swiped at her, but she nimbly dodged. Kicking against the wall, he used it as a springboard, aiming the next blow towards her midsection, which Sabine also evaded.

They circled around the room for several moments, Anakin never able to land a hit on her. "Is this what Ezra's been teaching you?" Anakin smiled to himself. "How to dance?"

Sabine visibly bristled at the mention of Ezra, but got it under control to roll away from a swipe. "Among other things."

Anakin glanced at the darksaber, which wasn't even ignited anymore. "Your overconfidence is your weakness."

Sabine nodded, ducking. "Your pride is yours."

Anakin shrugged, conceding the point. "Obi-Wan never really managed to drill the humble thing in, I guess."

"Yeah." Sabine pushed his hand to the side, creating room for her to manoeuvre. "He failed on multiple levels, it seems."

He shook his head, lowering his lightsaber. "What are you trying to do?"

Sabine stopped, staring at him. "You're not smart."

Anakin scowled. "What?"

"You lowered your defences."

With that, Sabine launched a vicious assault, that might have gotten Anakin, had she not given him heads up. And, _finally_ , he caught on. She never wanted a spar. She never even wanted to see if she could kill him.

What Sabine wanted was to find out how much of Vader was still inside Anakin.

Anakin wanted to find that out too.

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

 _"Commander Bridger."_

The sound was whispered, and it was coming from the ground. Even knowing what was about to happen, fighting the urge to run to a memory of Kanan training him, or he and Sabine bickering together, Ezra knelt and picked a holoprojector up from off the duracrete. _"Who is this?"_

A image appeared. It was Luke, chained and sporting multiple wounds. _"General Skywalker. I-"_

Lightning engulfed his body, and a laugh Ezra still heard in his nightmares was heard. _"Weak. Like your Father."_

After the bout of lighting was done, Luke sagged, staring directly into the lens. _"A defector gave this to me."_ He whispered. _"The Emperor doesn't know about it._ Please _, you have to-"_

More Force-Lightning, and Ezra turned away, tears slipping unbidden down his cheeks. Once was bad enough. To watch someone he had bonded to, could feel the pain of, suffer indescribable agony for the second time was…

Kanan's hand was on his shoulder. _"Focus."_ He murmured. _"He's one with the Force. This is just a memory."_

Ezra screwed his eyes shut, listening to the screams of pain. Just like back then, he was _powerless_ to stop it. Even if it was just a memory, it stung like nothing else. _"H-Hurts."_

Kanan's grip tightened, a silent plea to hold on. "There's _always light at the end of the tunnel."_

Ezra screamed.

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

Anakin grunted as he held back Sabine's attacks, and smiled softly. Finally, she was attacking. Granted, it was less tactical than her dodging, suggesting _now_ she was giving in to the anger, but it was better than her waiting for a slip-up.

At least now he _knew_ she was trying to kill him.

Ahsoka had said, enough times to sound like a parrot of Obi-Wan, that he took unnecessary risks. Anakin grinned. At least she wasn't here to witness this.

Timing it with a repulser blast from Sabine, Anakin let go of his lightsaber, a hundred instances of Obi-Wan chastising ' _this weapon is your life'_ flowing through his mind. Out of pure instinct, he almost caught it, but allowed Sabine's grappling line to snag it first.

Then she pounced.

Anakin couldn't help but think of Dooku as the darksaber and his lightsaber scissored his throat, and would have fought to keep from sharing his fate, but the door opened, and a familiar figure entered the arena.

Sabine sensed it as well, and turned, dropping both lightsabers. "Ezra?"

 **. . . . . . . . . .**

 **Chapter Notes!**

 **I). Memories, or mine at least, aren't entirely clear, especially when a Sith has invaded your body, intent on keeping it. So, everything's kinda fuzzy for Ezra.**

 **II). I do wonder, if Anakin had survived, how would the actions of Vader followed him? It was something I was keen to see with Ben Solo, but that opportunity, sadly, never came.**

 **III). So, the cliffhanger. Probably should ask yourself, how's Ezra's state of mind? Does he even know where he is? Could this be a case of amnesia? Maybe, in an effort to avoid the pain, parts of his personality split (which is actually a real life thing, and is very terrifying) Who knows?**

 **Thanks for reading! (Embrace your anger! They give your reviews focus!)**

 **Judge**


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